Erik ten Hag Joins Leverkusen: Former Man United Manager’s Bundesliga Task

Erik ten Hag will be the new head coach of Bayer Leverkusen. He will sign a two-year contract until June 2027. The Dutch coach chose the German club over going back to Ajax. He will sign his contract on Monday.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Bayer Leverkusen have agreed with Erik ten Hag to be their new head coach. The 55-year-old will take over from Xabi Alonso. Alonso is leaving to manage Real Madrid. He led Leverkusen to win the Bundesliga for the first time in 2023-24. Ten Hag has not worked since October. His last job was at Manchester United, where he was sacked after a poor season. United were 14th in the Premier League then.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Ten Hag has a strong coaching record, despite his problems at Manchester United. He helped the club win two trophies: the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. His best success was at Ajax, where he won three league titles and reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019. His team beat Real Madrid and Juventus in that run.

Leverkusen are in their best period ever. They won the Bundesliga for the first time under Alonso. They are leading the league by 8 points from Bayern Munich. Ten Hag’s task is to keep them successful and improve their performance in Europe.

WHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG?

Ten Hag must get ready for the 2025-26 season and plan how to defend the Bundesliga title. He has to quickly put his ideas into the team and work with Alonso’s players. The club is now a big rival for Bayern Munich, so there will be pressure on Ten Hag to keep winning.

Leverkusen will play in the Champions League next season. Ten Hag can show his skills in Europe again. He took Ajax to the last four of the Champions League before. Leverkusen want to make an impact in the competition. Their next league game is against Borussia Dortmund, who are fourth in the table, 12 points behind Leverkusen, with three games left.