Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has signed a two-year contract to become the new head coach of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, succeeding Xabi Alonso.
The appointment marks Ten Hag’s first managerial role since his departure from United in October. He will officially begin his tenure at Leverkusen on July 1.
During his two-year stint at Old Trafford, Ten Hag won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup and secured a third-place Premier League finish in the 2022/23 campaign. However, he was dismissed after a disappointing start to the 2024/25 season, with United languishing in 14th place.
Before his time in England, the 55-year-old Dutchman enjoyed major success with Ajax, winning three Eredivisie titles and two KNVB Cups and gaining recognition for his team’s deep run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2019.
Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes welcomed Ten Hag’s arrival.
“With Erik ten Hag, we have brought in an experienced coach with impressive success on the pitch. With three league titles and two domestic cup wins, he and Ajax dominated Dutch football from 2018 to 2022.
And Erik demonstrated his quality as a coach with the ensuing success at Manchester United under difficult circumstances at times.”
Ten Hag is no stranger to German football, having previously managed Bayern Munich’s reserve team between 2013 and 2015.
In his first comments as Leverkusen’s boss, Ten Hag expressed optimism and ambition.
“Bayer Leverkusen is one of the best clubs in Germany and also among the top clubs in Europe. I’ve come here to continue with the ambition shown in recent years. It’s an attractive challenge to build something during this new chapter and develop an ambitious team.”
