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.”
Just in time for the start of the school year, everyone was hard at work again at NaturGut Ophoven. For the 21st time, Bayer 04 have supported the annual ‘BioBrotbox’ campaign, which puts together a healthy breakfast for first-year primary school pupils in Leverkusen – and not only contributed 1,904 muesli bars but also plenty of enthusiasm too: Together with the U19 players Burak Kir and Clinton Wilson, Emily Wallrabenstein and Paulina Platner from the Women’s Bundesliga team helped with the packing. The latter was clearly delighted “that Bayer 04 are helping out with regional projects like this and showing their commitment to the local community”.
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A group of about 50 members of the Bayer 04 Football Academy São Paulo visited Leverkusen over the past few days, accompanied by Bayer 04 club legend Paulo Sergio and Luiz Felipe (managing director of academy in São Paulo) for a week full of football, encounters and very special insights. In addition to the Bundesliga away game in Elversberg and the home game against Union Berlin, the visit also featured a joint training session with the Bayer 04 Football Academy in Leverkusen and a tour of the Bayer AG facilities. The guests also gained special insights into the club and the world of Bayer 04.
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The men's clothing retailer LERROS will remain the official fashion and premium partner of Bayer 04 for the current season. As in the past, LERROS will provide the club's men's team, coaching staff and management with high-quality clothing for international trips.
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“Diaby! Diaby! Diaby!” was the cry around the BayArena as the Werkself danced in front of the north stand following their 4-0 win over Union Berlin. Captain Edmond Tapsoba gave his new (and old) teammate a friendly shove forward to take in the acclaim from the fans. The returning Frenchman was typically reserved in thanking the supporters but was clearly emotional about what was happening.
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