September 01, (THEWILL) — Bayer Leverkusen have dismissed manager Erik ten Hag just two weeks into the new Bundesliga campaign following a disappointing start to the domestic season.
The Dutch coach, who joined the German club during the summer transfer window, saw his tenure cut short after failing to maintain early momentum from cup competition success.
Ten Hag’s brief spell began positively with a victory over Grossaspach in the DFB-Pokal, but league performances proved problematic.
Leverkusen suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Hoffenheim in their opening fixture before surrendering a commanding 3-1 advantage to draw 3-3 with 10-man Werder Bremen on Saturday.
The former Manchester United boss, who departed Old Trafford in October following his dismissal, had accepted the Leverkusen position after Xabi Alonso’s departure.
The 55-year-old’s appointment marked his return to management after several months out of the game.
Managing sporting director Simon Rolfes confirmed the decision was reached reluctantly but deemed necessary.
The club official stated that recent weeks demonstrated the current setup would not enable successful team development, despite believing in the squad’s overall quality and potential.
Leverkusen underwent significant squad reconstruction this summer following departures of key players including Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Granit Xhaka.
The club completed their 16th signing of the transfer window on Sunday with Eliesse Ben Seghir’s €35million arrival, continuing their extensive recruitment drive.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
