‘Possibly the longest-serving manager since Ferguson’
Eric ten Haag has signed a new contract with Manchester United, becoming the club’s longest-serving manager since Alex Ferguson.
The Red Devils announced the new contract on their official website on Thursday (June 4). The contract runs until 2026.
Ten Haag began his coaching career in July 2002, having previously managed Bayern Munich’s second team and FC Utrecht. He was appointed to Ajax in December 2017 and began to show promise. Ten Haag led Ajax to the Dutch Eredivisie title and the UEFA Champions League in 2018/19. Young players such as Matthijs de Ligt and Prentie de Jong developed under his tutelage.
Ten Haag continued his rise at Ajax. He won six trophies with Ajax, including three Eredivisie titles, two Dutch FA Cups, and one Dutch Super Cup. Ten Haag made waves with his attacking style of soccer at Ajax.
Van Gaal joined United in 2022 from Ajax. He proved himself early on in his tenure. He led United to a third-place finish in the league in the 2022/23 season and qualified for the UEFA Champions League. They also won the League Cup, defeating Newcastle United 2-0 in the final.
Expectations were high for Van Gaal last season, but United had one of their worst campaigns ever. United finished eighth in the league with 18 wins, six draws, and 14 losses (60 points). Eighth place was United’s worst finish since the EPL’s inception in 1992. In the UEFA 토토사이트 Champions League, the club was also eliminated early, finishing fourth in Group A behind Bayern Munich, Galatasaray, and Copenhagen.
Ten Haag’s record would have earned him the sack, but he was saved in his final game, the FA Cup final. United defeated Manchester City 2-1 to lift the FA Cup trophy. The joy was doubled by the victory over their ‘Manchester derby rivals’.
After much deliberation, the United board decided to keep faith with Ten Haag. Speaking to the club, Ten Haag said: “I am delighted to have agreed to continue working with the club. When I look back on the last two years, we can be proud of the two trophies we have won and the many examples of progress from when I joined,” he said.
“However, we must also be clear that we have a lot of work ahead of us to reach the level expected of United. That means challenging for EPL and European titles,” he concluded.