Bayer Leverkusen has announced the sacking of manager Erik ten Hag after just two matches, following a disappointing start to the 2025-26 Bundesliga season.
The former Manchester United manager had taken over from Xabi Alonso, who left the club to join Real Madrid before the start of the Club World Cup in June. Ten Hag’s short tenure at the club included a season-opening draw against Werder Bremen and a subsequent 2-0 home loss to Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Bayer Leverkusen confirmed the dismissal in a statement on their website on Monday. “Bayer 04 Leverkusen have parted ways with head coach Erik ten Hag. This was decided by the shareholders’ committee, the club’s supervisory body, on the recommendation of the management of Bayer 04. Training will be overseen by the current backroom staff on an interim basis.”
Managing Director Simon Rolfes described the decision as a difficult one. “This decision was not an easy one for us. Nobody wanted to take this step. However, the past few weeks have shown that building a new and successful team with this setup is not feasible. We firmly believe in the quality of our team and will now do everything we can to take the next steps in our development with a new setup.”
Ten Hag’s sacking marks the fastest in Bundesliga history, breaking the previous record of five matches. The Dutchman is also the third former Manchester United boss to be dismissed in a single week, following the exits of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from Besiktas on Thursday and Jose Mourinho from Fenerbahce on Friday.
