Erik Ten Hag was appointed as the head coach of Bayer 04 Leverkusen in June after Xabi Alonso joined Real Madrid and he’ll be coaching two Nigerians in Nathan Tella and Victor Boniface, according to Soccernet.ng.
The former Manchester United coach will kick-off official business later today in the DFB Pokal that’ll see Die Werkself travel to Wirmachendruck Arena to face 4th-tier German side SG Sonnenhof Großaspach.
Leverkusen won the title in 2024 under Xabi Alonso and Ten Hag who secured two domestic titles in his time at Manchester United will be hoping for a great start in his debut season in Germany.
While it is anticipated the game will be a walk in the park for the one-time Bundesliga winners, their new coach confirmed he’ll be without Super Eagles star Victor Boniface as the Nigerian isn’t fully fit.
“Boni is making progress, but he is not yet where he should be,” the former Ajax coach said in quotes revealed by BILD.
It’ll be hard for the 55-year-old to replicate Alonso’s success at the Bay Arena, considering he’s lost a core part of the squad that made the title win possible.
Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, Lukas Hradecky, Florian Wirtz, and Jeremie Frimpong have all left the club, but Ten Hag is confident his side can have a good campaign in the DFB Pokal.
“It’s about moving with the right focus. With the respect for the opponent, but we have to make our game.
“The cup has always inspired me. I was in the cup final with Utrecht, with Ajax I was even there three times and also won. The cup is a great competition, because there is only one game.
“Nobody is like Harry Potter. A magician could quickly construct a team and at the same time be successful, but top football doesn’t work like that,” the Dutchman continued.
Ten Hag admitted that he’s not the most patient manager, but revealed he’s willing to allow their newest Dutch-Ghanaian recruit, 21-year-old Ernest Poku to grow into his role and possibly become a starter at the club.
“He’s here to play, and that’s how he’s an option for the starting eleven. We have lost many players and we need quality,” Ten Hag concluded.
Leverkusen kick-off their Bundesliga campaign next Saturday, welcoming Gift Orban’s Hoffenheim to the Bay Arena.
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