Former Manchester United coach Eric Tenhager will return to Champions League club

Former Manchester United coach Eric Tenhager is about to return to management

Eric Tenhager rejects the opportunity to return to Ajax, the former Manchester United coach is now approaching the return to the coaching position to lead the 2023/24 Bundesliga champion Leverkusen.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Leverkusen's negotiations with Tenhager have made "progress". Tenghager "says he is fully available" after contacting Leverkusen earlier this week. Meanwhile, Ajax admitted that he failed to successfully bring the former coach back to Amsterdam.

Leverkusen made progress in negotiations with Eric Tenhach as the new head coach.

"After direct contacts occurred earlier this week, Tenghag said he could play."

The Dutch giant Tenghag ranked first target after head coach Francisco Farioli resigned on the grounds of "disagreement" with Ajax's board of directors. Technical Director Alex Cross confirmed that he had spoken with Tenhager last weekend but declined to give more details.

Dutch media Voetbal International reported that Ajax had decided to move forward after learning that Tenghager intended to "pursuing other plans."

This shows that the 55-year-old has begun working to rebuild his reputation after having a bad time at Old Trafford.

Tenhager came to Manchester United with a very high reputation after Ajax's success, but failed to meet expectations and left the club in October 2024.

Despite winning the FA Cup and League Cup for the team, his tenure was compromised by instability in performance, a split-seat locker room and the failure to establish any real identity or progress on the court.

Needless to say, the situation has not improved much, with Manchester United falling from eighth place under his leadership to above the relegation zone under Ruben Amorin.

Even if huge investments are invested and the signings are fully controlled, Tenghager's Manchester United still often seems to be headless. His high-pressure system has never really played a role, senior players have declined in form, and the successive injuries have also exposed the lack of flexibility in his tactical system.

With that in mind, returning to Ajax, where he had won three Eredivisie titles and reached the Champions League semifinals, which might have looked like a soft landing.

Xavi Alonso leaves Real Madrid, Leverkusen is second only to Bayern Munich in the league, and the team is looking for a new head coach.

Although Leverkusen cannot replicate the domestic unbeaten brilliance of the 2023/24 season, they remain one of Europe's most exciting clubs, with UEFA Champions League qualification, a rigorous sporting structure and a young and dynamic team.

This is undoubtedly even more surprising, because Tenhager's negotiations are progressing rapidly and both sides show strong interest. With Ajax's withdrawal, his path to returning to Germany seemed clearer, where he coached Bayern Munich second team.