Bayern Munich may miss out on Dutch manager
Marc Overmars admits that Bayern Munich’s coaching target Erik Ten Hag is not going anywhere in summer.
Bayern Munich announced after the final game week of the year that Hansi Flick is set to be interim manager till summer. The German manager has done a fine job during his two-month spell as caretaker manager after Niko Kovac left the club at the start of November.
Flick’s appointment has given Bayern chiefs time to think about their next permanent appointment. There are many top candidates for this position, but most of them will be available to take over in summer.
Ajax manager Erik Ten Hag has been heavily linked with the vacant managerial position at Bayern ever since Kovac left the club. Earlier this season, the Dutch manager did hint that he could return to Bavaria in the future. Ten Hag had worked as reserves coach at Bayern from 2013 till 2015.
The latest comments coming out from Ajax suggest that Bayern will have to fight hard to appoint Ten Hag in summer. Marc Overmars, Ajax’s Sporting Director, told De Telegraaf (via Goal) that Ten Hag is likely to stay at Ajax for one more season.
"“Ten Hag can easily last another season after next summer.”“I certainly won’t let him go yet, although I know that he is on lists at major European clubs. That door will remain closed for the time being.”"
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Ten Hag is one of the few managers in Europe that fits the profile that Bayern is looking for their next manager. The Dutchman has done an incredible job at Ajax during his two years at the club. He has won trophies with the Eredivisie club, along with implementing an attractive style of football.
Ajax managed to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League last season under him by beating the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus. He has also managed to get the best out of both young and older players at Ajax. It remains to be seen how he will fare when there are much higher expectations.
In my opinion, Rekordmeister should not worry too much about Overmars’ comments about Ten Hag’s future. This could all be posturing to extract the best possible compensation for the Dutch manager. Moreover, it will be very difficult for Ten Hag to turn down the chance to take the next step in football management. At the moment, nothing looks decided, and Ajax is possibly trying to strengthen their hand in negotiations by making such comments.
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Flick’s performance during the second half of the season will also play a pivotal role in deciding Bayern’s next step in their search for a new manager. If the German continues to get good results, then he could end up getting this role on a permanent basis. Die Roten will not wait till the end of the season, so by the end of March, things are likely to be more clear about their next manager.