LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — Erik ten Hag has warned he can’t work Harry Potter-style magic to forge a new-look Bayer Leverkusen into a true team as the ex-Manchester United manager prepares for his first game in charge.
Ten Hag’s first job since leaving United sees the Dutch coach faced with a major rebuild at Leverkusen following the departure of his title-winning predecessor Xabi Alonso and key players including Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Granit Xhaka.
“I know how to manage processes and you can’t force the process. It’s impossible. No one is like Harry Potter,” Ten Hag said on Thursday ahead of his first game on Friday in the German Cup against fourth-tier Sonnenhof Grossaspach.
“Harry, he can really (quickly) construct a team, and in the same time it’s successful, but that is not how top football works.”
Ten Hag used the Harry Potter line in his time at United, too.
Following a loss to Liverpool in September 2024, he said he was no Harry Potter while explaining the difficulties of relying on players who hadn’t had much game time. Less than two months later, Ten Hag was fired by United after four losses in nine Premier League games.
Ten Hag said he and the Leverkusen players will have to work hard together through the first half of the season and into the spring to be able to fight for trophies at the end of the campaign.
“For me, the start of the season is the middle of March, April 1, then you have to be in a position that you can win something,” he said. “Until that time, we all have to work unbelievably hard to get into that position, to develop and progress the game model and to develop the team and the individual players.”
New signings ahead of Friday’s game include American attacking midfielder Malik Tillman, who Ten Hag said wasn’t fit to play, ex-Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah and former Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken.
Leverkusen confirmed midfielder Robert Andrich was the captain after goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky left for Monaco.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
