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Welcome back to The High Ground — the football newsletter that spots a managerial meltdown before the boardroom even clears it.
In a Bundesliga twist that feels like surrealist fiction, Bayer Leverkusen have shown zero tolerance—and zero instincts for patience—by sacking Erik ten Hag after just three matches. Strap in. This crash-landing comes with drama, at least one public spat, and a "historic fiasco" label that feels entirely deserved.
The Shortest Reign in German Football History
If you're a Leverkusen fan, swallow hard. Ten Hag was ushered in on July 1, replacing Xabi Alonso with a two-year contract—plenty of runway, they said. Instead, he exits on September 1, without so much as building a pre-season. Just a cup game and two Bundesliga matches later, the club dropped him like a hot potato. That’s a reported 62-day tenure—a new record for shortest ever in Germany.
Chaos in Miniature: The Collapse Unpacked
The results were shambolic:
Humiliated 5-1 by Flamengo’s U20s in preseason
Lost 2-1 at home to Hoffenheim
Blew a 3-1 lead to draw 3-3 with ten-man Werder Bremen
Leadership evaporated. Captain Robert Andrich called it “misery versus misery.” Team cohesion? Nonexistent. Even a dispute over who should take the penalty—settled mid-match by Andrich—became emblematic of the dysfunction.
Inside the club, trust dissolved. Leverkusen’s management deemed the project “not feasible” with the current setup—despite a summer of expensive signings and a squad overhaul.
Ten Hag Speaks: ‘Surprised,’ ‘Unprecedented,’ and ‘Without Trust’
The boss himself was floored—calling the dismissal “a complete surprise” and “unprecedented.” He lamented the lack of mutual trust and argued that building a new, cohesive team takes time and space—luxuries Leverkusen clearly didn’t believe in.
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Squad Shaken—Money Spent, Identity Lost
This was no managerial meltdown in a vacuum. Leverkusen offloaded major figures—Florian Wirtz, Xhaka, Frimpong, Tah, Hradecky, Adli—all gone. Then they spent upwards of €170m on new faces like Tillman, Quansah, Badé, and others. But if your foundation keeps slipping away, even reinforcements can’t hold you up.
What Comes Next? Coaching Upheaval and Short Notice
With Ten Hag gone, Bayer Leverkusen turned to interim coaches Rogier Meijer and Andries Ulderink. Early signs are encouraging—a 2-1 win over Viktoria Köln showed structure and renewed focus. Meanwhile, Angelos “Ange” Postecoglou’s name has surfaced as a likely long-term replacement.
High Ground takeaway: Leverkusen’s decision to pull the plug after 98 days wasn’t just ruthless—it was reckless. Coaching continuity, buy-in, and a coherent vision went overboard before they even boarded. In football, results matter—but context and coherence matter more. This isn’t football theatre; it’s off-pitch farce.
