FIRED Erik ten Hag gets on a private jet to go to the Netherlands after being fired as manager of Manchester United yesterday. He is expected to get £15 million as a “golden goodbye.”
The 54-year-old Dutchman was told to leave at 11 a.m.
He was seen smiling at 2:15 p.m., just before his Cessna light plane took off from Manchester and took him home to Amsterdam.
Less than two hours after the announcement, at 1:30 p.m., Ten Hag was seen hunched over in the back of a black Mercedes S Class being driven by a driver.
The Dutchman, 54, was sped from his home in Cheshire to Manchester Airport, where he was seen wearing a gilet and carrying a backpack. At 2:15 p.m., his private jet took off for Amsterdam.
After a rough two and a half years, he will get £15 million. He is the fifth boss to be fired since Sir Alex Ferguson quit after 27 years in 2013.
Just 166 days ago, United executives renewed Ten Hag’s £6.5 million-a-year contract until June 2026.
Another Dutchman, Ruud van Nistelrooy, 48, who used to play striker for United and is now his assistant, has taken over as temporary manager.
Someone who works at the club said, “Recently, the locker room has been like a morgue. It’s no surprise that Ten Hag has left.”
“The owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, said that when he gave him the extension in the summer, he did it with his heart and not his head.” He is now acting like he knows what’s right.
United is in 14th place in the Premier League with 11 points after nine games. Andy Mitten of the United We Stand fanzine said, “I would never be happy if United fired a manager, but this season has been a nightmare and eighth place last year is not good enough.”
“This is a very pricey move after what happened in the summer. The club doesn’t need that right now, and we’ve paid managers a lot of money in the past.”
After a shocking win over rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup Final in May, club company Ineos gave Ten Hag the new deal.
Another United source said of the firing, “This was long overdue, and no one could be that shocked that the hierarchy finally did something.”
“But it was done in a crazy way that shows the club is a mess from top to bottom.”
“The worst thing the club did was make Ten Hag’s deal longer after they won the FA Cup.” Even though that was a big accomplishment, it was so clear that it made a terrible season look better. And it may have cost the owners more than £10 million.
“There may be room for wiggle room, but Erik isn’t leaving without a big reward.”
“Recently, this has happened before, with former managers like Jose Mourinho also getting huge payouts.”
“This is a sign of the chaos at the club since Sir Alex Ferguson died.”
United said this about the firing: “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.”
He was hired in April 2022 and led the team to two local titles, the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
Erik did a lot for us while he was here, and we appreciate it and wish him the best in the future. Ruud van Nistelrooy will be the team’s interim head coach, with help from the current coaching staff, until a new head coach is hired.
Some people who are in the running to take over are Ruben Amorim of Sporting Lisbon, Xavi of Barcelona, and Julian Nagelsmann of Germany’s national team.
Thomas Frank of Brentford and former England manager Gareth Southgate are also in the running for the Old Trafford job. Southgate recently hired Jimmy Worrall, a close friend of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, as his agent.
United paid £19.6 million in pay to Jose Mourinho and the rest of the coaching staff in 2019 after firing them.
There was news two weeks ago that Sir Alex will be leaving his £2 million-a-year job as a United ambassador at the end of the season.
Eric Cantona, a former player for the club, called that choice scandalous. It was made during an effort to cut costs led by Ineos and after 250 employees lost their jobs in the summer.
People have said bad things about Ten Hag’s handling of players like Cristiano Ronaldo, who said bad things about him after he left in 2022.