Bayer Leverkusen did not think twice after Erik ten Hag's brief tenure on the bench. It took only three matches for the board to sever the tie and start looking for a new coach. The name that is sounding the loudest at the moment is that of Raúl González, a legend at Real Madrid who has been managing Castilla and is now suddenly one of the favorites for the job.
The change of guard arrives with loads of pressure and, worst of all, with the spectre of Xabi Alonso hanging over the club. Alonso delivered the 2023/24 Bundesliga championship, an achievement that took Leverkusen to new heights and created a standard by which any successive manager will be automatically judged.
Ten Hag's dramatic fall
Ten Hag's story is another reminder how cutthroat soccer is. After an acrimonious exit at Manchester United, he arrived in Germany with the mission to keep Leverkusen at or close to the top. But the Alonso comparison haunted him from day one.
With no real time to adapt, three poor games were enough to shake confidence among the directors and the fans. Instead of riding it out, the club decided to move quickly, cutting ties before things escalated into something worse.
Raúl under consideration along with Terzic and Rose
Raúl's case is interesting because he's both an icon and a risk. As a player, he made his mark at Schalke 04, especially during the 2011 Champions League campaign. He was one of the main reasons for the club making it to the semis, scoring five goals along the way and helping eliminate Inter Milan in the quarters. Germans still recall that campaign.
His coaching experience has been limited to Castilla so far, but the reputation and respect he enjoys could take him a long way. He is not the only one on the list, though. Edin Terzic, former coach of Borussia Dortmund, and Marco Rose, who last coached RB Leipzig, are also in contention. Both have a good knowledge of the Bundesliga and are safer bets. The board wants to have the situation sorted out during this international break, as per reports, which suggests that they don't want the uncertainty to continue.
The bigger challenge for Leverkusen is not so much in terms of hiring a new coach. It's dealing with the legacy of Alonso. That Bundesliga title in 2023/24 was historic, and it set expectations that won't be met for some time to come.