Super Eagles duo Boniface and Tella lose manager: Erik Ten Hag fired as Leverkusen coach after three matches

Former German champions Bayer Leverkusen have made a shocking decision to sack Erik Ten Hag after only three games in charge, leaving Nigerian Super Eagles forwards Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella without a manager. 

Pulse Sports reports that this abrupt move comes as a surprise given Ten Hag’s high-profile status as a former Manchester United coach.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano broke the news, confirming that Bayer Leverkusen’s management informed Ten Hag of the decision earlier on Monday morning. 

The club quickly followed up with an official statement on their social media channels, announcing, “Bayer 04 Leverkusen has parted ways with head coach Erik ten Hag with immediate effect.”

In the interim, the coaching responsibilities will be handled by the assistant coaching staff while the club searches for a new permanent manager.

Ten Hag’s short stint at the BayArena has seen him struggle to make an early impression, losing scandaously to Flamnego’s u20s before going on to pick just one point from a possible six in his opening two matches in the Bundesliga. 

The sudden dismissal shows the challenges Ten Hag faced steering Leverkusen, who are eager to stabilise and improve performance after a difficult start to the Bundesliga season.

Speaking on the decision, sporting director Simon Rolfes stated that it was not an easy decision but the club was forced to act

“This decision was not an easy one for us. Nobody wanted to take this step. However, the past few weeks have shown that building a new and successful team with this setup is not feasible,” he told the club website.

Super Eagles duo Boniface and Tella now face the uncertainty of adapting to a new coach as Bayer Leverkusen looks to regain their form in the coming fixtures.