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Bayer Leverkusen have dismissed Dutch manager Erik ten Hag just two months after his appointment on Monday, prompting speculation that Turkish club Fenerbahce may move to hire him following their own managerial shake-up.
According to speculation spreading across Turkish social media, Fenerbahce may consider Erik ten Hag to replace Mourinho, who was dismissed last week following the club’s failure in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers and his harsh public criticism of the board.
Ten Hag, the 55-year-old coach who previously managed Ajax and Manchester United, joined the German Bundesliga side on July 1.
Before his time at the top level, he built his reputation in Dutch football, first leading Go Ahead Eagles in the Eredivisie, where he guided the club to promotion.
He later coached FC Utrecht, helping the team qualify for European competitions, before moving to Ajax in 2017.
At Ajax, Ten Hag became known for his attacking style of play and success on the European stage, most notably reaching the UEFA Champions League semifinals in 2019.
His achievements in Amsterdam earned him the job at Manchester United in 2022, where he won the English League Cup in his first season, but left in 2024 after a challenging campaign.
His brief tenure at Leverkusen covered only three official matches: a 4–0 win over Sonnenhof in the German Cup, a 2–1 defeat to Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga opener, and a 3–3 draw with Werder Bremen.
Ten Hag’s dismissal also forms part of a broader trend involving coaches with Manchester United connections.
Within the span of just five days, three former United managers have been removed from their posts: Ten Hag from Leverkusen, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from Besiktas and Mourinho from Fenerbahce.
After Mourinho’s departure, Fenerbahce began its search for a new head coach to pursue its league title ambitions and progress in the UEFA Europa League.
Turkish media cited Roger Schmidt, Sergio Conceicao, Emre Belozoglu, Ismail Kartal, Vincenzo Montella, and Edin Terzic as possible candidates, with Ten Hag’s exit from Leverkusen adding his name to the list.
Fenerbahce is also preparing for an extraordinary presidential election amid growing backlash toward business tycoon Ali Koc and his board, who have led the club since 2018 without securing a league title.
The club’s wait for a domestic championship stretched to 11 years last season, while its absence from the UEFA Champions League has now reached 17 years.
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