Former Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag has just signed a two-year deal to become the new head coach of Bayer Leverkusen, a popular soccer team in Germany. This is his first job since leaving Manchester United back in October.
Xabi Alonso, who used to coach Leverkusen, has recently been named the new head coach for Real Madrid, one of the biggest soccer clubs in Spain.
During his time at Manchester United, Ten Hag led the team to win the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, which are important trophies in English soccer. However, he was let go when the team was struggling and sitting in 14th place in the Premier League.
Before joining Manchester United in 2022, Ten Hag had a lot of success with Ajax, a famous club in the Netherlands.
Simon Rolfes, the sporting director for Bayer Leverkusen, shared his thoughts on Ten Hag's arrival: “We are thrilled to have Erik ten Hag on board! He has a lot of experience and has achieved great things on the field.”
Rolfes also mentioned that Ten Hag helped Ajax win three league titles and two domestic cups from 2018 to 2022, making them the top team in Dutch soccer during that time. He praised Ten Hag for his coaching skills, especially during tough times at Manchester United.
Under the guidance of Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen had a fantastic season in 2023-24, winning both the league and the cup! They finished second in the Bundesliga, which is the top soccer league in Germany, but were 13 points behind the champions, Bayern Munich.
Erik ten Hag is set to officially start his new job on July 1st. He expressed his excitement about joining Leverkusen, saying, “Leverkusen is one of the best clubs in Germany and is also among the top clubs in Europe.”
He added, “I’m here to keep building on the ambition that has been shown in recent years. It’s a great challenge to work together during this time of change and to develop a strong team.”
This new chapter for Ten Hag promises to be an exciting journey for both him and Bayer Leverkusen!