Erik ten Hag declines Twente return, reportedly to preserve Leverkusen severance
The former Manchester United and Ajax manager has turned down an approach from his boyhood club Twente, Dutch media report, weeks after his surprise sacking by Bayer Leverkusen.
Erik ten Hag has declined an offer to return to his boyhood club FC Twente, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported, choosing instead to preserve a severance package he is due from Bayer Leverkusen after his dismissal earlier this month.
The 55-year-old, who was sacked by Leverkusen two games into his Bundesliga tenure, reportedly faces a severance payment of about £4.3 million, according to German outlet Bild. The payment is scheduled to be paid over time and could be forfeited under the terms of the settlement if he were to take another managerial post immediately, De Telegraaf said.
Ten Hag became a free agent after leaving Manchester United last season and accepting the Leverkusen job in what was billed as an attempt to revive his managerial standing. Leverkusen dismissed him just two matches into the campaign, a decision that has left him out of work as clubs across Europe continue to shape their seasons.
De Telegraaf reported that Twente, five matches into the Dutch Eredivisie season and placed 13th of 18 — two points above the automatic relegation zone — had approached Ten Hag as they sought a new manager. The club is in an early-season search to steady results after a difficult start.
Ten Hag is one of Twente’s most prominent products. He came through the club’s youth system, played 262 times across three spells and captained the side to KNVB Cup victory in 2001. He later began his coaching career at Twente, working with the under-17 and under-19 teams before serving as an assistant. Former teammate Boudewijn Pahlplatz told the Manchester Evening News that Ten Hag had expressed a desire to return to the club one day.
Throughout his career, Ten Hag has frequently referenced the influence of Twente and his former youth coach Epi Drost. He has described Drost as an inspiration for adventurous, creative football, and has reflected publicly on the emotional context of Twente’s history, including the fireworks factory explosion in Enschede in 2000 that killed 23 people and injured hundreds. The club’s KNVB Cup triumph the following year was widely seen as a morale boost to the community.
Ten Hag enjoyed domestic and continental success with Ajax, winning three Eredivisie titles, two Dutch cups and reaching the Champions League semifinals in 2018-19 before moving to Manchester United in 2022. His tenure at Old Trafford ended last season, and his brief spell at Leverkusen marks his most recent managerial appointment.
Twente’s approach and Ten Hag’s reported refusal underscore the financial and contractual complexities that can shape coaching decisions. The Bild report that the Leverkusen severance equates to roughly £69,000 per day he worked drew attention in the media to the size and structure of the payout.
Twente will continue its search for a manager as the Eredivisie season progresses. Ten Hag remains available for future opportunities once contractual obligations are resolved, and any return to his former club could occur later if circumstances change.