Erik ten Hag has been named as the new head coach of Bayer Leverkusen, taking over from Xabi Alonso and signing a two-year contract.
The appointment marks Ten Hag’s return to management following his exit from Manchester United in October.
The 55-year-old Dutchman previously led United for just over two years, securing both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup titles before being dismissed when the team was sitting 14th in the Premier League.
Before his stint at Old Trafford, Ten Hag rose to fame with Ajax, where he guided the club to three Eredivisie championships and two domestic cups between 2018 and 2022, alongside a spot in the Champions League semi-final.
Leverkusen’s sporting director, Simon Rolfes, welcomed the appointment, saying: “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.”
Welcome to Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Erik ten Hag! 👊⚫️🔴 pic.twitter.com/Nj2ErK6Wsx
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en) May 26, 2025
Ten Hag takes the helm at Leverkusen after Alonso’s move to Real Madrid was confirmed on Sunday.
Under Alonso’s leadership, Leverkusen claimed the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in the 2023-24 season and finished as Bundesliga runners-up this year, trailing Bayern Munich by 13 points.
Starting his new role on July 1st, Ten Hag has spoken for the first time as the club’s new boss.
He said: “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.”
