“I regret not being given time,” said Erik Ten Hag
Erik ten Hag’s time at Bayer Leverkusen came to an end nearly as soon as it started. After just two Bundesliga games, the Dutch coach who had been brought in this summer to take Xabi Alonso’s position was fired. Ten Hag was shocked and incensed by the German club’s lack of faith after the decision was made abruptly on the day of the deadline.
After a humiliating preseason loss to Flamengo’s U20s (1–5), a league loss to Hoffenheim (1-2), and a disheartening draw against Werder Bremen (3–3) despite having a man advantage, his demise had appeared imminent. After determining that their new man wasn’t a good fit, the Werkself board decided to end the project early.
Ten Hag didn’t try to hide his rage when he spoke through his agency, SEG. “I was totally unprepared by the decision to suspend me. It is unheard of to fire a coach after just two league games. Trust and time are necessary to create a new, cohesive team. Regretfully, the administration refused to provide me with either,” he said.
Before expressing gratitude to Leverkusen supporters for their support, he added that the relationship “was never based on mutual trust.”
This is the Dutch tactician’s second significant setback since his painful departure from Manchester United less than a year ago. His dream of rebuilding his name in Germany has now come to an abrupt halt, and it is unclear what he will do next.
