September 2, 2025

Bayer Leverkusen shocked football fans on Monday by firing their manager, Erik ten Hag, just after two league games. The Bundesliga club said that the weekend’s 3-3 draw against 10-man Werder Bremen wasn’t enough to save Ten Hag's job. It all started with a home loss 2-1 against Hoffenheim, which put intense pressure on the Dutchman from the beginning. Leverkusen's Sporting Director Simon Rolfes shared how tough this decision was: "This decision was not an easy one for us. Nobody wanted to take this step," he said. He added, "However, the past few weeks have shown that building a new and successful team with this set-up is not feasible." Ten Hag, who was out of management since his Manchester United exit in October, had replaced Xabi Alonso in May. Alonso had led Leverkusen to an incredible season, finishing second in the league and winning their first Bundesliga title without losing a single game in 2023-24. Ten Hag’s mission was clear but tough! Many star players like Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli, Jonathan Tah, and Granit Xhaka had left the club in the close season. These big exits made Ten Hag’s task similar to trying to catch lightning in a bottle again. He did start with a bang, winning 4-0 in the German Cup's first round against the fourth-tier Sonnenhof Grossaspach. But with the club already 5 points behind the league leaders Bayern Munich and a tough Champions League campaign ahead, time was running out fast. Before the last game, Ten Hag spoke honestly about the challenges. "One or two things could still happen on the weekend for us and for the whole transfer market," he told reporters. “On Tuesday we will know what it (the squad) will look like.” He also jokingly said he wasn’t "Harry Potter," hinting at the difficulty of magically fixing the problems. But now, Ten Hag’s short Leverkusen story is over. Football fans are left wondering what’s next for both the club and the Dutch coach. Will Leverkusen find a new leader fast to fight back in the season? Only time will tell!

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Tags: Erik ten hag, Bayer leverkusen, Bundesliga, Football manager, Football transfers,