Erik ten Hag endured a nightmare start as Bayer Leverkusen manager, losing 5-1 to Flamengo U20s in a pre-season friendly that has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.
Erik ten Hag’s first game in charge of Bayer Leverkusen couldn’t have gone any worse, as the Bundesliga champions were humiliated 5-1 by a Flamengo Under-20 side in a pre-season friendly that quickly went viral on social media for all the wrong reasons.
Having taken over from Xabi Alonso this summer, Ten Hag stepped into a side that just won its first-ever Bundesliga title—but the early signs of his reign are troubling. Despite Leverkusen fielding a mixed lineup, including senior players Arthur, Jonas Hofmann, and Victor Boniface, they were completely outplayed by Flamengo’s youth squad, with Arthur even scoring an own goal in the rout.
The internet wasted no time piling on the Dutch coach, who was dismissed by Manchester United just weeks before landing the Leverkusen job. Fans from across the globe mocked the result:
- “Ten Hag getting smoked. Brings a great smile to my face,” wrote one user.
- Another chimed in: “He’s taking these guys straight to midtable.”
- Manchester United fans even got involved, with @sammyprimus1 quipping, “Ten Hag is making Yoonited proud.”
- @_tamakloee added: “Y’all make me sick to my stomach. I had AIG Man U fans on here picking Ten Hag over Ronaldo.”
To be fair, the team that took the field wasn’t Ten Hag’s strongest XI, and Leverkusen are still adjusting after the departures of key players like Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Jonathan Tah—all part of the side that went unbeaten domestically last season. Still, a loss this emphatic, against such inexperienced opposition, is bound to raise early alarm bells.
With Champions League football on the horizon and the Bundesliga kicking off against Hoffenheim on August 23, Ten Hag doesn’t have much time to restore confidence—or credibility.
Leverkusen have been linked with several players Ten Hag worked with at Old Trafford, most notably Antony, who is reportedly available for transfer this summer. Whether Ten Hag turns to familiar faces to help steady the ship remains to be seen—but after this result, reinforcements feel less like an option and more like a necessity.
Even though pre-season games often have little long-term significance, this result—and its viral backlash—marks a brutal welcome to Germany for Ten Hag. He was brought in to sustain Leverkusen’s title-winning momentum, but this 5-1 embarrassment suggests a long and bumpy road ahead.
