ERIK TEN HAG has reportedly turned down the opportunity to make a return to his boyhood club just weeks after his Bayer Leverkusen sacking.
The Dutch coach was brutally fired after just 62 days in charge of the German club, despite having a contract that ran until 2027.
GettyErik ten Hag turned down a management offer from FC Twente[/caption]
ReutersTen Hag was sacked after just two months with Bayer Leverkusen[/caption]
GettyThe coach played over 250 times for the club after coming through the ranks there[/caption]
He was appointed following the departure of the immensely successful Xabi Alonso, but it didn’t take long for cracks to appear as the club sold off a number of their biggest assets.
They sold both Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool in a blockbuster double swoop, before letting experienced midfielder Granit Xhaka move to newly-promoted Sunderland.
The early signs were not promising once the Bundesliga got started, with the 2023/24 league champions falling to a defeat against Hoffenheim and a draw with Werder Bremen.
The results were enough to tip an ownership, who were already frustrated with Ten Hag behind the scenes, over the edge, and he was sacked on September 1st.
But the manager might not be protesting too much thanks to the considerable severance package that he is now owed from the club.
The former Manchester United boss is reportedly due £4million in severance pay following his dismissal, equivalent to £69,000 for every day he worked in the job.
And according to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, the 55-year-old has already elected to turn down a new offer in management to hold on to this package, despite it coming from his boyhood club.
FC Twente, who compete in the Eredivisie, have suffered a lacklustre start to the campaign that saw them dismiss incumbent boss Joseph Oosting earlier this month.
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The club are reported to be keen to bring Ten Hag in to replace Oosting, but doing so would require him to forfeit his Leverkusen severance pay to the tune of multiple millions.
Twente are on a good run of finishes in the Eredivisie, having finished sixth, third, and fifth in the past three seasons.
However, after taking just one win from their opening five games of the season and falling to 14th in the table, the club are searching for a new figure at the helm.
Ten Hag came through the youth system at the club and went on to spend three senior spells there.
The centre-back captained the outfit to the KNVB Cup in the 2000/01 season, and ended up making over 250 appearances in their colours.
While the club will likely be hurt by the refusal, perhaps the sudden resurgence of Leverkusen under new manager Kasper Hjulmand will convince them that the decision could be a blessing in disguise.
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