Erik Ten Hag has been confirmed as the new manager on the side of the Bundesliga Bayer Leverkusen.
Ten Hag, who had been without work since he was fired by Manchester United last October, replaces Xabi Alonso as boss after the Spanish coach left to join Real Madrid.
Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga this season, but still has a large part of the team that helped them win the title in a historic undefeated league campaign in 2023-24.
ESPN reported on Saturday that Ten Hag and his representatives held constructive conversations with the side of the Bundesliga and now the agreement has become official.
Ten Hag, 55, spent just over two seasons in Old Trafford before being fired in a bad series of results only five months after winning the FA Cup. However, Man United has continued to fight since the departure of the Dutch coach.
His replacement, Ruben Amorim, has achieved only seven victories in the Premier League on the road to an end 15, while the club also lost the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.
Before joining United, Ten Hag won three Eredivisie titles with Ajax and took the team to a semifinal of the Champions League in 2018-19. He has trained in Germany before, after having handled the Bayern Munich II from 2013 to 2015.
“With Erik Ten Hag, we have brought an experienced coach with an impressive success in the field. His six victories in the title in Ajax were exceptional,” said Leverkusen sports managing director, Simon Rolfes, in a statement.
“With three league titles and two victories in the domestic cup, he and Ajax dominated Dutch football from 2018 to 2022. And Erik demonstrated his quality as a coach with the consequent success in Manchester United in difficult circumstances sometimes.”
In his new role, Ten Hag may have to do without Leverkusen's star interpreter, Florian Wirtz, who has been strongly linked to a transfer this summer. The sources have told ESPN that Liverpool is leading the race for the signature of the German international.
Ten Hag said that Leverkusen is: “One of the best clubs in Germany and also among the best clubs in Europe. The club offers outstanding conditions, I have a lot of discussions about the administration.
“I have come to Leverkusen to continue the ambition shown in recent years. It is an attractive challenge to establish something together in this period of change and develop an ambitious team.”
