Bayer Leverkusen After Xabi Alonso: Crisis Analysis

Bayer Leverkusen’s Post-Alonso Era: What’s Really Happening?

Artem Denisov with the initial analysis – While Xabi Alonso has made a strong start with Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen finds itself in a more challenging position. The club hasn’t just lost their manager; they’ve seen an exodus of key players, creating a perfect storm of transition and rebuilding.

The Ten Hag Circus: A Costly Mistake

On May 26th, Bayer Leverkusen announced Erik ten Hag as their new manager. By September 1st, the relationship was over – costing the club €5 million in compensation after just two months. What went so wrong so quickly?

Ten Hag’s tenure lasted only two Bundesliga matches: a 1-2 loss to Hoffenheim and a 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen. If you count all official matches, including the 4-0 German Cup victory against a lower-tier club, it was three games total.

Why Ten Hag Failed Spectacularly

The Dutch manager accumulated criticism from every direction. Players complained about his training methods – too little ball work, too many push-ups. He shocked the team by failing to deliver a motivational speech before their first Bundesliga match. Club management grew frustrated with his persistent recommendations to sign players from an agency that represented him personally.

Most damningly, ten Hag failed to connect with any department within Bayer Leverkusen – from physiotherapists and nutritionists to the administrative staff. He became, in the words of insiders, “the annoying outsider who irritated everyone.”

Official Admission of Failure

Bayer CEO Fernando Carro didn’t mince words: “The ten Hag experiment failed. This was clearly our mistake. Such things happen to those who make important decisions. When you make an error, you need to correct it promptly.”

Carro’s frustration was palpable: “Of course the situation is irritating: we lost five points and two months of preseason preparation. But these things happen.” Notably absent was the traditional farewell wish of good luck to the departing manager.

A Swift but Necessary Decision

No manager in world football deserves dismissal based solely on sporting results after just two matches. The reality is Bayer’s leadership appointed ten Hag without conducting proper due diligence on his methods, character, and principles. When it became clear he was the wrong fit, the club acted decisively.

The Hjulmand Era Begins

Bayer turned to Kasper Hjulmand, who coached the Danish national team from 2020-2024 with mixed results – Euro semifinal success but World Cup playoff failure.

Under Hjulmand, Bayer has suffered only one defeat in ten matches, though the details reveal a more complex picture. The 2-7 humiliation against PSG (even against the Champions League holders, it was particularly painful at home) stands out. Of nine unbeaten games, three ended in draws – including two Champions League stalemates against Copenhagen and PSV that complicate their playoff prospects.

Current Bundesliga Standing

Bayer currently sits 5th in the Bundesliga, where the table remains tightly contested behind Bayern Munich. Leipzig leads the chasing pack with 19 points, Stuttgart follows with 18, while Dortmund and Bayer both have 17. The gap to the teams below is already significant.

The most recent victory – a 4-2 German Cup win against second-division Paderborn – required extra time and saw Bayer trailing during the additional periods, despite playing with a man advantage for over 30 minutes of regular time.

The rebuilding continues at Bayer Leverkusen, but the road back to contention appears longer than anyone anticipated after Alonso’s departure.