Erik ten Hag started his playing career at Twente Enschede near to his birthplace Haaksbergen close to the German border. After brief spells at other Dutch clubs the central defender returned to FC Twente in his mid 20s where he stayed for six years until the end of his career in 2002. After a total of 299 appearances in the Eredivisie he started his career as a coach.
After several years as the youth coach, he became the assistant coach to Fred Rutten with the Twente first team in 2006. After three seasons, Rutten and ten Hag moved on to PSV Eindhoven for three years. His first job as head coach followed in 2012/13 at Go Ahead Eagles where he achieved promotion to the top flight. Ten Hag then took over as coach of the Bayern Munich second team where he won the Regional League in Bavaria and he stayed for two years.
He returned to the Netherlands in 2015 where he was head coach and sporting director at top-flight club FC Utrecht. The record champions Ajax came calling for ten Hag shortly after Christmas in 2017 – that marked the start of an impressive story of success.
After ending his first season without a trophy, he led Ajax to the league and cup double in 2018/19. In the UEFA Champions League there were wins against Juventus and holders Real Madrid before going out at the semi-final stage against Tottenham Hotspur.
Ajax were top of the table in the following season that was not completed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Another double followed in 2020/21 and the third Dutch league title a year later. During his successful time in Amsterdam, ten Hag helped players like Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong to move on to top European clubs. He then took the same route himself.
Ten Hag was appointed head coach at Manchester United for the 2022/23 season. As the successor to Ralf Rangnick, he finished third in his first season in the Premier League and won the Carabao Cup with the English club. That campaign ended with a narrow defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup final but the following season brought success over the local rivals to lift the FA Cup. After winning two trophies the end at Manchester United came after two and a half years at the end of October last year.
The trophy collector is looking to bring his wealth of experience to Bayer 04. Ten Hag is the third Dutch head coach at Leverkusen following on from Rinus Michels (1988 to 1989) and Peter Bosz (2018 to 2021). Sporting managing director Simon Rolfes attributed ten Hag with "impressive success on the pitch" and "technically demanding and dominant football."
Ten Hag himself, who speaks German, was determined and ambitious on signing the contract: "Bayer 04 are one of the best clubs in Germany and also among the top clubs in Europe. I've come to Leverkusen to continue with the ambition shown in recent years. It's an attractive challenge to set up something together in this period of change and develop an ambitious team.”
Trophies as a youth, appearances in the pro game and his first taste of international competition: new arrival Luca Erlein, who has been signed from TSG Hoffenheim, can already look back on some remarkable achievements and moments in his fledgling career. We take a closer look at the 19-year-old right-back, who can also fill other roles across the defensive line.
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Bayer 04 Leverkusen has a new coffee partner. The club has agreed a long-term partnership with the Bocholt-based roastery Imping, running to 30 June 2031. The exclusive partnership with the family-run business includes the installation of fully automatic coffee machines at the BayArena, as well as the right to supply and serve coffee products in the business areas during Werkself home games.
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Plenty going on both on and off the pitch: The Bayer 04 fan support team has organised a number of highlights for fans visiting the Werkself 2026/27 summer training camp in Blankenhain, in the Weimarer Land region. Registration for the events is now open. All the details at a glance.
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The Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team and s2-Software are continuing their long-term partnership: The Werkself and the provider of pre-owned Microsoft licences have extended their contract by two years to 2028. This means s2-Software will remain the Bayer 04 sleeve sponsor for all matches in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga.
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BIOGENA is the new performance partner for the Bayer 04 Leverkusen Women’s team. Under a partnership initially set to run for three years, the club and the leading Austrian micronutrient company are pooling their expertise in the areas of health, fitness and top-level performance.
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