Bayer Leverkusen have dismissed head coach Erik ten Hag after only two Bundesliga matches in charge, making his exit the fastest managerial sacking in the league’s history.

The 55-year-old Dutchman was appointed in May following Xabi Alonso’s departure to Real Madrid, but departs after just two months and two league fixtures, with Leverkusen taking only one point.

Ten Hag’s side lost 2-1 at home to Hoffenheim after taking the lead, and on Saturday squandered a 3-1 advantage to draw 3-3 against 10-man Werder Bremen.

Leverkusen managing director Simon Rolfes admitted the decision was painful but unavoidable:

“Nobody wanted to take this step. However, the past few weeks have shown that building a new and successful team with this set-up is not feasible.”

The dismissal comes at a turbulent time for former Manchester United managers, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and José Mourinho both sacked last week by Besiktas and Fenerbahce respectively.

Ten Hag faced a major rebuild following the departure of several key players, including Florian Wirtz (£116m, Liverpool), Jeremie Frimpong (£29.5m, Liverpool), and Granit Xhaka (£13m, Sunderland). Captain Jonathan Tah also left for Bayern Munich, while Amine Adli (Bournemouth) and Lukas Hradecky (Monaco) exited as well.

Leverkusen reinvested heavily, bringing in record signings Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), and Eliesse Ben Seghir (Monaco) for over £88m combined.

CEO Fernando Carro said:

“A parting of ways at this early stage of the season is painful, but we felt it was necessary. We remain committed to achieving our goals for the season – and to do that, we need the best possible conditions at all levels and across the entire first team.”

For now, Leverkusen’s assistant coaches will oversee training until a permanent replacement is appointed.

Leverkusen, who finished runners-up last season, return from the international break against Eintracht Frankfurt on 12 September, before resuming their Champions League campaign with clashes against English sides Manchester City (25 November) and Newcastle United (10 December).