Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of current Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag as the new manager of their men’s first team in a deal kicking off with the start of the 2022-23 and set to run until June 2025. The agreement also gives the Dutchman an option to stay with the club for an additional year.
Ten Hag, who has been Ajax’s head coach since 2017, has overseen considerable success at the Dutch club, winning the Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup twice in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
Ajax recently lost the 2022 KNVB Cup to PSV Eindhoven, whom they lead in the league by four points with only five rounds remaining in the season.
By joining United, Ten Hag will become the fifth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013. Apart from David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, former United players Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick have also served as managers in a caretaking capacity, with Ralf Rangnick currently managing the men’s team on an interim basis until the end of the 2021-22 season.
Manchester United’s Football Director John Murtough and Technical Director Darren Fletcher were the two who led the hunt for a new boss, while club CEO Richard Arnold joined the process in the final stages.
It is understood that United had a five-man shortlist which, along with Ten Hag, included Spain’s senior men’s national team coach Luis Enrique, Chelsea’s men’s team’s coach Thomas Tuchel, Paris Saint-Germain’s men’s team’s coach Mauricio Pochettino and Sevilla’s men’s team’s manager Julen Lopetegui. Enrique had stated that he would not be leaving his post until the end of the Qatar World Cup, which effectively ruled him out.
John Murtough, Football Director, Manchester United, stated:
“During the past four years at Ajax, Erik has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe, renowned for his team’s attractive, attacking football and commitment to youth.
“In our conversations with Erik leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Manchester United to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that.
“We wish Erik the best of luck as he focuses on achieving a successful end to the season at Ajax and look forward to welcoming him to Manchester United this summer.”
Ten Hag will see out the current season with Ajax. Along with multiple league titles and cup wins, Ten Hag also led the Dutch team to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, getting the better of the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus on the way. He was previously also at Utrecht and Bayern Munich II. In Munich, he also worked under Pep Guardiola.
Speaking about his upcoming role as Manchester United Manager, Erik ten Hag said:
“It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead. I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve.
“It will be difficult to leave Ajax after these incredible years, and I can assure our fans of my complete commitment and focus on bringing this season to a successful conclusion before I move to Manchester United.”
Former Manchester United player and Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar added:
“Four and a half years is a good amount of time, but we would have liked to have kept Erik at Ajax for longer. He is going to make the step to one of the biggest clubs in the world, in a fantastic league.
“We owe Erik a lot of thanks for what he has achieved with Ajax so far, but we are not done yet. At the end of the season, I will look back more extensively on his departure. For now, what matters is the final games of the season in which we all want to bring home the league title.”
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