Erik ten Hag’s brief spell at Bayer Leverkusen has ended in disappointment, with critics now dubbing him “Erik Ten Weeks” — though even that’s a stretch.
His tenure lasted just 62 days, one short of nine weeks, and included only two Bundesliga matches.
The Dutch manager was sacked after Leverkusen blew a 3-1 lead against 10-man Werder Bremen on Saturday, settling for a 3-3 draw — a result that followed an opening-day loss to Hoffenheim and a solitary win over a fourth-division team in the German Cup.
The disappointing result came one week after Leverkusen lost to Hoffenheim in their season opener at home. Ten Hag only won one competitive game – a German Cup tie against a fourth-division side.
The experienced Dutchman was appointed in late May to replace title-winning coach Xabi Alonso, who departed for Real Madrid; however, he did not begin work until July 1.
At first, Leverkusen seemed to be convinced he could lead a partial rebuild, as the Werkself were losing several key players, including Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Tah.
But while early results this season were disappointing, they were not the sole reason – or even the main reason – for Ten Hag’s dismissal.
According to a report obtained from BBC Sports on Tuesday, almost from the start, Ten Hag caused irritation with his decisions and behaviour.
For instance, he rescheduled a friendly against Flamengo’s under-20s team during Leverkusen’s training camp in Brazil. The game was played four days earlier than initially planned, and Leverkusen lost 5-1 in quite an upset.
