Shocking Erik ten Hag firing reveals deep issues at Bayer Leverkusen

There is an old saying in coaching that it is not if you will be fired, but when.

Still, not even the most pessimistic coach would think that his two-year contract would be over after only 63 days. However, that is exactly what happened to Erik ten Hag when he was fired by Bayer Leverkusen on Monday.

Even Ten Hag, who has now been fired twice in less than a year after being let go by Manchester United in October 2024, expressed shock at the decision in a statement released through his agency.

"The decision by Bayer Leverkusen’s management this morning to put me on a leave of absence came as a complete surprise," Ten Hag said. "To part ways with a coach after just two league matches is unprecedented."

Ten Hag was hired to rebuild Bayer Leverkusen after arguably the most successful time in the club’s history. Two seasons ago, the club mockingly known as "Neverkusen" erased that moniker by winning its first Bundesliga title ever. It followed that up with a second-place finish last season.

Then, an exodus occurred. Not only did the manager who led it to this success, Xabi Alonso, leave for the greener pastures of Real Madrid, but almost the entirety of his league-winning side followed him out the door.

The arrival of Ten Hag provided some optimism. At Manchester United, he led the Red Devils to two cup titles and brought them to two other finals.

The club matched this optimism by spending big. This summer, Bayer Leverkusen spent nearly $200 million in transfers for Ten Hag to mold. Those transfers seem to be where the trouble started.

Communication between Ten Hag and the front office appeared to have been nonexistent. Ten Hag wished to keep title-winning captain Granit Xhaka, who was later sold. Other players, like Lucas Vazquez, were signed without Ten Hag's knowledge, according to German publication Bild (via Yahoo Sports).

The start of the season provided a brief respite from criticism, as Bayer Leverkusen opened the campaign with an easy cup win over a four^th division side.

However, issues between Ten Hag and his new players began to reveal themselves.

An opening loss at home to Hoffenheim was followed by Bayer Leverkusen squandering a 3-1 lead to draw against Werder Bremen, 3-3.

During that draw, players were seen arguing over who should take a penalty. Following the match, club captain Robert Andrich made some shocking comments on the mood in the locker room.

"We have too many people who are only concerned with other things," Andrich said. "Too many who are only concerned with themselves. That’s what the game looked like: everyone played for themselves. Everyone ran around on the pitch for themselves alone."

Out of step with the front office and out of control of his team, it starts to become clear why Ten Hag’s days were numbered, but the number of days is still shocking. Too few to have made a real impact.

The entire saga seems to say more about Bayer Leverkusen in the post-Alonso era than it does about its departing manager. It reveals a club that is in disarray and without a clear path forward.

With Ten Hag’s assistants now in charge on an interim basis, Bayer Leverkusen will have to make some big changes to save its season.

Whoever the next coach is, he will need to be someone who commands immediate respect in all areas of the organization. Knowing that, it is not surprising that Real Madrid legend Raul has emerged as an early favorite to fill the vacancy.

Raul's status as a legendary player is undeniable, but this would be his first top-level coaching gig if hired.

Whoever takes charge permanently will face an uphill battle. Perhaps the season can be saved, but it's hard to see how, and that is a hard reality in the first week of September.