Erik ten Hag – Head coach

Erik ten Hag succeeded Xabi Alonso as Bayer 04 head coach in the summer of 2025. The 55-year-old had previously worked at Premier League club Manchester United and won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024 with the Red Devils.

He had made his first steps as a coach for Twente Enschede’s youth teams in his home country before a spell as assistant coach at the Dutch side. He went on to work as assistant coach at PSV Eindhoven before his first spell as a head coach at Go Ahead Eagles. After a year there, ten Hag moved to Germany, taking over FC Bayern’s U19s when he was 43 years old. He stayed there for two seasons. After working at FC Utrecht, he enjoyed his most successful spell so far at Ajax. He won three championship titles and two domestic cups with the Dutch top club from 2018 to 2022, dominating Dutch football.

Managing director sport Simon Rolfes said on signing ten Hag as head coach: “With Erik ten Hag we have brought in an experienced coach with impressive success on the pitch. Our ideas of football coincide. With technically demanding and dominant football, we want to carry on in the Werkself style and aim for the highest targets in all competitions.”