Erik ten Hag: Bayer Leverkusen appoint former Man Utd boss as Xabi Alonso’s replacement as head coach

Bayer Leverkusen have appointed former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag as Xabi Alonso’s replacement as head coach.

The 55-year-old Dutchman has signed a contract running through to June 2027 with the German club.

Ten Hag inherits a team that finished second behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and reached the German Cup semi-finals after winning both competitions under Alonso the year before.

Alonso left to take over as Real Madrid coach, replacing Carlo Ancelotti who has taken charge of the Brazil national team.

It is Ten Hag’s first job since he was dismissed as United coach in October 2024.

He won two domestic cups in his two-and-a-half years in charge at Old Trafford but was fired after the club’s worst start to a season, with four defeats in nine league games.

Speaking in his first press conference after the appointment was announced, Ten Hag said: “Bayer is one of the best clubs in Germany and also belongs to the expanded European elite.

“The club offers excellent conditions, and the discussions with the officials have impressed me greatly.

“I have come to Leverkusen to confirm the ambitions that have grown over the past few years. It is an appealing task to build something together in this phase of change and to develop an ambitious team.”

Ten Hag proved ‘quality’ at Man Utd

The club’s sporting director Simon Rolfes praised the success and “quality” of Ten Hag after announcing the appointment following his experiences at both Ajax and United.

Ten Hag spent four seasons at Ajax from 2018, winning the Eredivisie three times and the KNVB Cup twice, before taking on the role at Old Trafford in 2022 where he won the FA Cup and League Cup.

“With Erik ten Hag, we are relying on an experienced coach with impressive sports successes. His six title wins with Ajax Amsterdam were exceptional,” said Rolfes.

“With three championships and two cup victories, he and Ajax dominated Dutch football unchallenged from 2018 to 2022. And even through the subsequent successes with Manchester United under sometimes difficult conditions, Erik has proven his quality as a coach.

“Our visions of football align. With technically demanding and dominant football, we want to pursue the highest goals in the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Champions League.”