When former Bayern Munich academy coach Erik ten Hag got hired by Bayer Leverkusen to succeed Xabi Alonso, it was assumed that the veteran coach would help keep Die Werkself competitive and build the club back into a threat to win the Bundesliga.
That did not work out.
After two games, Ten Hag was sacked and now the details of why have leaked out via a report from Sport Bild. Let’s take a look…
Ten Hag had no say in Vázquez
It would be weird to bring in an influential veteran — and winner — like Lucas Vázquez without consulting
the coach, but that is exactly what happened. So, even before that August 26th signing, Bayer Leverkusen knew there was trouble with Ten Hag on the horizon:
Erik ten Hag (55) must have realized that his time at Leverkusen was over exactly three months after his introduction as coach. On August 26, the Werkself club unveiled Lucas Vázquez (34) as their new player. A free agent from Real Madrid, he’s set to lead the team. And for a long time, ten Hag was unaware of the five-time Champions League winner’s signing.
He was not involved in the transfer of a player who would become the new on-field boss. Sporting director Simon Rolfes (43) had explained his role within the team to him in video calls, which Vázquez explained in detail during the presentation. Ten Hag had spoken to Vázquez for the first time on August 26th – after the agreement had been reached two days earlier, the medical check had been carried out the evening before in Madrid and the two-year contract had been signed.
Instant regret
Yeah…Bayer Leverkusen had buyer’s remorse almost immediately:
Rolfes had to admit that his choice of coach had been his biggest mistake as a manager. But he was willing to correct it to prevent further damage. This is seen as a strength at the club and at Bayer AG.
The press release announcing the coach’s departure contained no words of thanks. Even the polite phrase wishing the club all the best for the future was missing. Club chairman Fernando Carro (61) says the early departure was “necessary.” Rolfes explains that the development of the new team could not have been “effective” with ten Hag. The Dutchman had managed to turn all departments, bodies, and players against him in a very short time.
When he signed in May, Rolfes was convinced he had hired a good football coach. He saw Ajax Amsterdam’s success under ten Hag’s leadership (2018–2022). But even then, there was nothing that would have suggested a shared future.
Ten Hag reportedly alienated everyone around him
The story from Sport Bild paints Erik ten Hag as someone who either could not relate with, well, anyone…or someone who did not care enough to try and build relationships:
There are reasons why former coach Alonso, who now leads the Spanish league with Real Madrid, learned of the Vázquez deal days before ten Hag. He was asked whether the global star was a good fit for Leverkusen. For almost three years, Alonso was involved in all internal squad planning meetings. He was informed about every step. He would never have shared his findings. Not even his agent or his friends were informed.
According to SPORT BILD, Ten Hag quickly left the club’s most intimate circle. He was also told there was no going back. With his constant public demands for new players and the breach of trust with the departure of Granit Xhaka (32) – ten Hag publicly vetoed the sale of the Swiss player, contrary to the internal agreement reached with him – all warnings from the industry were confirmed, and no common ground could be found.
His relationships within the dressing room were equally strained. Support staff, physiotherapists, doctors, nutrition experts, team organization, his own new coaching staff – he couldn’t connect with anyone. In this area, the experienced coach was expected to be a unifying force. He wasn’t. There was no leadership and no direction. He never became the head of the professional side of the stadium like his predecessors. Before the first game of the season against Hoffenheim, ten Hag even refrained from giving a rousing speech before the players and staff took to the pitch, much to everyone’s surprise.
Did Ten Hag just pack it in and collect a check?
It might be fair to wonder how Bayer Leverkusen and Ten Hag came to an agreement in the first place when almost nothing seemed to align for this relationship would work:
The former Manchester United coach failed to convey any ideas to the new Leverkusen team. No one knew what to do, not even when they were leading 3-1 against Werder Bremen. There were individual actions, but no game plan. In the locker room, people puzzled over why push-ups seemed to have a similar importance in training as running and passing – and not just on the first few days for the losers of training games to amuse themselves during the unusually long sessions.
Therefore, the question wasn’t whether the dismissal after two games was too early, but rather whether they had perhaps waited too long. Leverkusen has already lost five points.
The severance payment for ten Hag, whose contract ran until 2027, is contractually stipulated. According to information from SPORT BILD, he will receive just under five million euros after the quick termination. Including his salary for the two months, this comes to around six million euros for 60 days of service (July 1–August 31). That’s about 100,000 euros per day—and one point. An expensive misunderstanding.
Bayern Munich is on break and the German national team got off to a bad start in this round of World Cup qualifiers. Let’s dive into all of that!
This is what we have on tap for this episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:
- Thomas Müller was back at Bayern Munich this week (already!?)
- Is Germany heading down a bad road after another painful loss?
- Can Julian Nagelsmann get it back on track?
- Who is accountable? Is there accountability at all?
- Should Joshua Kimmich do the right thing and move to right-back (again)?
- Unpacking the Erik ten Hag debacle at Bayer Leverkusen. Sport Bild had a wild story on the situation.
Also, be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.
