Erik ten Hag has given his first press conference as Bayer Leverkusen head coach.
The former Manchester United boss has longed been tipped as one of the favourites to replace Xabi Alonso, who has joined Real Madrid.
Speaking about Alonso and his impact at B04, the Dutchman explained:
“What Xabi created here was absolute craftsmanship. The foundation, the structures, the methods, the staff remain the same. It’s a collaborative effort to build a winning culture that serves as the foundation. It’s normal in this business for the team to change after so much success. I’m sure we’ll build a new squad from which we want to build a good team. It’s a fantastic process, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Ten Hag is hoping to carry on where the former coach left off. With his experience of the Bundesliga, ten Hag is eager to win.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be here. I know and already knew a lot about the Bundesliga and the club. Bayer 04 has always been innovative, and they’ve taken the step to win titles. I want to win, to inspire people with dominant and attractive football. I want to create something together with the fans.”
The 55-year-old’s last appointment at Man United was a turbulent one to say the least. However, ten Hag is interested in looking back but rather forward in this new venture.
“I’ve been a coach for over ten years now. But I’m not looking back; I want to look forward and continue with all my energy. In every conversation, I sense the hunger for more. For the winning mentality. Bayer 04 wants to be bold.”
It’s due to be a summer of change for Leverkusen with the expected departures of Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong, and Florian Wirtz. However, the new boss hasn’t yet had to chance to talk to players or think about the overall squad.
“I didn’t talk to players yet, the timeframe was too short for that. The players are with their national team or on vacation. That is still to come. I have an idea of the squad, but not in detail yet. We still need to approach that, but we also still have time for that. But of course we can’t wait that long for that, we need to make decisions.”
The Dutchman first made a name for himself during his successful time at Ajax. However, ten Hag doesn’t plan on using his Ajax methodology at Bayer.
“No. There are differences and similarities. Certain principles can be used, but German football, Bayer, has its own character. You can’t translate that one to one, and I don’t plan on doing that.”
GGFN | Jamie Allen
