Erik ten Hag has become the new head coach of Bayer Leverkusen, the Bundesliga club announced.
The former Manchester United boss has signed a contract running until June 30, 2027, to take charge of the team after Xabi Alonso was appointed as Real Madrid's new manager on Sunday.
Before taking over at United in April 2022, Ten Hag managed Ajax, and at Old Trafford he managed the League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
However, after months of speculation over his future at Old Trafford, with the team's results and performances under close scrutiny, a poor start to the 2024/25 season led to his sacking at the end of October.
Commenting on his new appointment, Ten Hag told Leverkusen's website: “Bayer is one of the best clubs in Germany and one of the leading clubs in Europe.
“The club offers excellent conditions and I was very impressed with the negotiations with the management. I came to Leverkusen to continue the ambitions shown in recent years.
“It’s an exciting challenge to create something new in these changing times and build an ambitious team.”
The 55-year-old Dutchman takes over at Bayer after a very successful period under Spaniard Alonso, who led the club to the 2023/24 Bundesliga title without losing a single game and winning the league and cup.
Bayer finished second in the Bundesliga this season, 13 points behind champions Bayern Munich.
Before taking charge of Ajax in January 2018, Ten Hag had previous experience as a coach at Go Ahead Eagles, Bayern Munich II and FC Utrecht, where he led the team to three Eredivisie titles before moving to Old Trafford.
Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes added: “With Erik ten Hag we have brought in an experienced coach with impressive achievements on the pitch. His six titles with Ajax were outstanding.”
“With three championship titles
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