By Khabar Rojana 
Erik ten Hag oversaw just three matches for Bayer Leverkusen before being fired after doubts within the club started peeping up about his ability to guide the team through a major rebuild phase. Ten Hag had joined the German club by replacing Xabi Alonso.
Erik ten Hag’s time at Bayer Leverkusen came to an abrupt end as the club fired the former Manchester United manager after just three matches in charge. The Dutch manager was sacked on Monday after doubts lingered within the club about his ability to guide the team through a major rebuild following the summer departure of key players.
“This decision wasn’t easy for us,” sports director Simon Rolfes said. “Nobody wanted to take this step. But recent weeks have shown that rebuilding a successful team with the current setup isn’t feasible. We firmly believe in our squad’s quality and will do everything necessary to continue our development under a new structure.”
Ten Hag saw just three matches at Leverkusen, who began the season with a 4-0 victory over a fourth-tier side in the DFB-Pokal. His team then suffered a 2-1 loss at home to Hoffenheim in the coach’s Bundesliga debut and later squandered a two-goal lead in a dramatic 3-3 draw at home to 10-man Werder Bremen.
He had earlier warned that he was no magician and that it would take time to bring Leverkusen back to the true performing team again after its summer of changes.
“You can’t force the process. It’s impossible. No one is like Harry Potter,” Ten Hag said before his debut at fourth-tier team Sonnenhof Grossaspach in the German Cup.
The shareholders’ committee mutually agreed to fire Ten Hag. CEO Fernando Carro acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but emphasised that maintaining the best conditions for success required the change.
Ten Hag had replaced Xabi Alonso in May after the Spaniard departed for Real Madrid. The Dutch manager had his work cut out, as he had to navigate a major squad overhaul after the club lost stars including Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, and others.
Leverkusen’s next assignment will be facing Eintracht Frankfurt in their third Bundesliga match. Leverkusen are currently 12th in the German competition, while Eintracht Frankfurt are ranked second with wins in both of their first two matches.