Erik ten Hag took over as head coach of Bayer 04 Leverkusen in June after Xabi Alonso left to join Real Madrid. The Dutchman will be working with two Nigerian players, Nathan Tella and Victor Boniface.
The former Manchester United boss will begin his first official game later today in the DFB Pokal, as Leverkusen travel to the Wirmachendruck Arena to face fourth-tier side SG Sonnenhof Großaspach.
Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title in 2024 under Alonso, and Ten Hag, who won two domestic trophies with Manchester United, will be hoping for a strong start to his debut season in Germany.
However, he will be without Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface, who is still recovering from injury.
“Boni is making progress, but he is not yet where he should be,” Ten Hag told BILD.
The new coach faces a tough challenge in matching Alonso’s success, as several key players from last season have left the club, including Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, Lukas Hradecky, Florian Wirtz, and Jeremie Frimpong.
Speaking about his plans, Ten Hag said:
“It’s about keeping the right focus. We must respect the opponent, but play our own game. The cup has always inspired me – I reached the final with Utrecht, three finals with Ajax, and won it as well. It’s a great competition because it’s decided in one game.”
He added that building a successful team takes time:
“Nobody is like Harry Potter. A magician could quickly build a team and succeed, but football doesn’t work like that.”
Ten Hag admitted he is not the most patient manager but said he is ready to give new signing Ernest Poku, a 21-year-old Dutch-Ghanaian, the time to grow into his role and fight for a place in the starting eleven.
“He’s here to play, and he’s an option for the starting eleven. We have lost many players and we need quality,” he said.
Leverkusen will begin their Bundesliga campaign next Saturday at home to Gift Orban’s Hoffenheim.