Bayer Leverkusen Sporting Director Clarifies Reasons Behind Ten Hag’s Early Sacking

‎Bayer Leverkusen sporting director, Simon Rolfes said on Thursday that it was clear from the start the club was heading in the “wrong direction” under former coach Erik ten Hag. 

‎Ten Hag was sacked last month after two Bundesliga matches, marking the shortest managerial stint in the league’s history.

‎Speaking with AFP and other media, Rolfes insisted that the “hard” decision to sack the Dutchman was the right call.

‎”If you have the feeling that you’re going in the wrong direction, you shouldn’t wait until you get there,” he said.

‎”If it’s not a good fit, it’s better to split.”

‎Sacked by Manchester United in October 2024, Ten Hag signed a contract with Leverkusen until 2027 in May as the successor to Xabi Alonso, who moved to Real Madrid.

‎Rolfes disclosed that he spoke with Alonso on the phone as Ten Hag’s tenure began to unravel.

‎Leverkusen were crushed 5-1 by Flamengo’s under-20s in a pre-season friendly in Brazil, marking Ten Hag’s first game in charge.

‎”Let’s say it this way, it was not good,” Rolfes said of the surprise loss.

‎Ten Hag’s two league matches in charge were a home defeat to Hoffenheim and a 3-3 draw against 10-man Werder Bremen, despite having led 3-1 with a numerical advantage.

‎”You need a bit of time to adapt, but the feeling was that we were not taking the steps in the best way. And it was not getting better fast.

‎”You need the head coach and the coaching staff to give stability to the players and we didn’t feel this.”

‎Rolfes said the club wanted “to be fast with this decision”, adding that “most of the time you wait too long, waiting for bad results”.

‎Since Ten Hag’s departure, the club remains unbeaten, recording three wins and three draws across all competitions, and has moved up to fifth place in the Bundesliga.