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.”
Traveling to North America for the World Cup this summer to see your favorite Bayer 04 players? Here’s a quick cheat sheet with thumbnail portraits and insider tips for each city from a local expert, so you can make the most of your visit and activities beyond the game!
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A fresh look for the BayArena: The Bayer 04 stadium will have new seating in the form of folding seats for the 2026/27 campaign that will ensure significantly improved seating comfort and simplified movement within the rows of seats. As part of routine replacement after 17 years, fans of the Werkself were able to purchase the existing seats, used to witness the first German league title in the club's history. In addition, a large proportion of the seats will be donated to charitable projects, primarily in the local region. Bayer 04 fans can look forward to new, functional folding seats for the season opener at the beginning of August - still in the club colours of black and red, of course. A glimpse at the BayArena during the refurbishment.
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On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
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Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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When Malik Tillman arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven last summer, he did more than just add attacking midfield strength to the team — he reconnected the club with a unique and understated American lineage that stretches back more than three decades.
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