Just weeks after being sacked by his new club Bayer Leverkusen, former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag could be on the verge of returning to management – and this time, the club he may take charge of is likely to be his former side, Ajax.
This season, the Dutchman was dismissed by Leverkusen after coaching just two matches in the new Bundesliga campaign. The club (nicknamed "Die Werkself") had initially appointed him to replace Xabi Alonso, but following his failure to secure a win in either of those two league games, the club promptly announced his sacking. Ten Hag later criticized the decision as "unprecedented" in a strongly worded statement.
Over the past 12 months, the 55-year-old coach’s reputation has taken a severe blow. From being sacked by Manchester United in October last year to his recent rapid dismissal at Leverkusen, he has suffered successive setbacks. However, his coaching struggles in the Premier League and Bundesliga do not seem to have dampened the possibility of his return to Ajax – a comeback to his former club as manager as early as January next year could well become a reality.
Ajax, Ten Hag’s former employer, is currently managed by John Heitinga. The team sits third in the Eredivisie and remains unbeaten in seven league matches this season. Nevertheless, after Ajax lost to Inter Milan and Marseille in succession in the Champions League, some fans have begun calling for a managerial change. While the club’s top brass have so far remained restrained, the growing dissatisfaction among supporters and certain underwhelming performances may force the management to act – and Ten Hag is clearly the leading candidate to take over.
Notably, after nearly three and a half years away from Ajax, Ten Hag is open to the idea of returning. More intriguingly, even before accepting Leverkusen’s offer earlier this year, he had already been closely linked to the Ajax managerial position. As early as May, the club’s technical director Alex Kroes confirmed the team’s interest in Ten Hag: "Ten Hag has long been on our shortlist of potential managers. He achieved remarkable things during his previous tenure here, and I even had a brief chat with him in the stadium stands on Sunday."
