Manchester United announced Thursday in a statement that Dutchman Erik Ten Hag, current manager of Ajax Amsterdam, will be their manager from next season.
“Manchester United are delighted to announce the selection of Erik Ten Hag as first team manager,” the Red Devils wrote, specifying that the 52-year-old coach signs until 2025, with an option for one more season.
After the sacking of Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the end of November, United had named German Ralf Rangnick as caretaker until the end of the season, to give them time to choose a new manager, with Rangnick moving into an advisory role within the club.
Paris SG manager Mauricio Pochettino, a longtime target of the Red Devils, seemed to hold out for months after his Premier League experience at the helm of Southampton and Tottenham.
But Ten Hag seems to have emerged as the ideal candidate during the audition carried out by the English club, having impressed the management with his vision of the team in five years and his uncompromising diagnosis, according to the English press at the end of March. .
Twice a league champion, and maybe three soon, with Ajax, whom he led to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019, Ten Hag is known for his attention to detail and his ability to change games through tactical changes.
“Throughout four seasons at Ajax, Erik has shown that he is one of the most exciting and one of the most successful coaches in Europe. He is known for the fun and attacking play of his teams, and for his commitment to youngsters. players,” said John Murtough, Manchester United’s director of football.
He also has a reputation for being calm and protective of the players, unlike his compatriot Louis van Gaal or José Mourinho, who have recently been on the bench at Old Trafford.
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