Bayer Leverkusen: Why crisis of former Bundesliga champions is not a surprise

Just months after lifting the Bundesliga title, Bayer Leverkusen have entered a turbulent period. Erik ten Hag, who was only appointed on 26 May, has already been dismissed after overseeing just three matches. The Dutchman has been replaced by Danish coach Kasper Hjulmand, as the club faces growing difficulties that could signal a deeper crisis.

Difficult task of succeeding Xabi Alonso

Appointed in October 2022, Xabi Alonso led Leverkusen to the top of German football, guiding the club to an unbeaten league title in 2023-24, finishing with 90 points. Known for their attacking style and individual brilliance, particularly from Florian Wirtz, Leverkusen lifted the first Bundesliga trophy in their history.

Alonso stayed one more season, finishing second in the league and suffering elimination in the Champions League last 16 against Bayern Munich. He eventually accepted the opportunity to join Real Madrid as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor – an offer Leverkusen simply could not match. The club turned to former Manchester United manager Ten Hag as his replacement.

Although the Dutchman’s appointment raised some eyebrows, it would have been difficult for any manager to follow Alonso’s success. Ten Hag was also impacted by a highly disruptive summer transfer window.

A summer exodus destabilises Leverkusen

Despite being Bundesliga champions, Leverkusen were unable to withstand pressure from top European clubs targeting their best players. This summer, they generated around €229.5m (£195m) in sales – the third-highest figure among clubs in Europe’s top five leagues, behind Chelsea and Bournemouth.

The headline departure was that of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, sold to Liverpool for €125m (£106m) – the second-largest deal of the summer after Alexander Isak. However, Wirtz was far from the only key player to leave.

Right-back Jeremie Frimpong also joined Liverpool for €40m (£34m), while Odilon Kossounou moved to Atalanta BC for €20m (£17m). Veteran midfielder Granit Xhaka left for Sunderland (€15m / £13m), goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky joined Monaco (€3m / £2.5m), and Jonathan Tah signed for Bayern Munich for just €2m (£1.7m).

Underwhelming replacements and early struggles

Despite spending nearly €200m (£170m) on new signings, Leverkusen have struggled to rebuild. With funds from Wirtz’s transfer, the club brought in Malik Tillman from PSV Eindhoven for €35m (£30m). The American international impressed last season in the Eredivisie, but it remains to be seen whether he can fill Wirtz’s shoes.

In defence, Leverkusen signed Liverpool’s backup Jarell Quansah for €35m (£30m) and added French international Loic Bade from Sevilla for €25m (£21m). However, defensive concerns remain. Leverkusen have already conceded five goals in their opening two Bundesliga matches – a 2-1 defeat to Hoffenheim and a 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen – suggesting the departures of Jonathan Tah and Hradecky, now replaced by Mark Flekken in goal, are having an impact.

This article was originally published on Top Mercato.