The former Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, has taken over as head coach of German side Bayer Leverkusen, signing a two-year deal to replace Xabi Alonso.
This marks Ten Hag’s first return to management since leaving United in October.
The 55-year-old Dutchman, who previously enjoyed a highly successful stint at Ajax, had a mixed spell at Old Trafford, securing both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, before being dismissed with the club languishing in 14th place in the Premier League.
Xabi Alonso, meanwhile, was officially unveiled as Real Madrid’s new head coach on Sunday following a stellar campaign with Leverkusen.
Leverkusen’s sporting director, Simon Rolfes, praised the appointment, “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.”
Under Alonso’s guidance, Leverkusen celebrated a domestic double in the 2023–24 season and finished as Bundesliga runners-up this term, trailing Bayern Munich by 13 points.
Set to officially begin his tenure on July 1, Ten Hag expressed excitement about the opportunity, stating, “Leverkusen are one of the best clubs in Germany and also among the top clubs in Europe. I’ve come to Leverkusen to continue with the ambition shown in recent years. It’s an attractive challenge to set up something together in this period of change and develop an ambitious team.”
