Why Leverkusen Sack Ten Hag Just After 3 Games

After a short tenure at Bayer Leverkusen, Erik ten Hag has been disparagingly referred to as “Erik Ten Weeks” by some critics.

This characterisation is slightly exaggerated, as his reign lasted just one day short of nine weeks, totalling 62 days. During this time, he oversaw only two Bundesliga matches.

Ten Hag was relieved of his duties following a dispiriting draw, in which Leverkusen squandered a 3-1 lead against ten-man Werder Bremen on Saturday, ending the match 3-3.

This disappointing result came just a week after Leverkusen suffered a loss to Hoffenheim in their season opener at home. Ten Hag managed to secure only one competitive victory—a German Cup match against a fourth-division team.

Appointed in late May to replace the title-winning coach Xabi Alonso, who left for Real Madrid, Ten Hag officially began his duties on 1 July.

Initially, the club appeared to have faith in his ability to lead a partial rebuild, as Leverkusen faced the departure of several key players, including Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Tah.

However, while the early results this season were discouraging, they were not the sole or primary reasons for Ten Hag’s dismissal.

From the outset, Ten Hag’s decisions and behaviour sparked annoyance.