Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag had a disasterous start to his tenure at Bayer Leverkusen after his side was beaten 5-1 by Flamengo's U20's side.
The former Manchester United manager watched his team crumble despite being overwhelming 1/100 favourites for the match.
The Dutch coach, who replaced Xabi Alonso at the German club in May, saw his senior-laden side torn apart by the Brazilian youth team in Rio de Janeiro. It marked a nightmare start for Ten Hag, who was sacked by United in October after winning just three of his first nine Premier League matches.
The humiliating result came despite Leverkusen fielding experienced first-team players against their teenage opponents.
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|Bayer Leverkusen were embarrassed by an under 20's side
Ten Hag opted to retain Alonso's title-winning 3-4-2-1 formation and selected senior players including goalkeeper Mark Flekken, Jonas Hoffman and striker Victor Boniface in his starting eleven. The nightmare began immediately as Flamengo scored after just two minutes.
The Brazilian youngsters doubled their advantage in the tenth minute, leaving the German side reeling. Ten Hag responded by withdrawing both Flekken and Boniface in the 36th minute, but the changes failed to stem the tide.
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Flamengo capitalised on the disruption, netting their third goal moments after the substitutions. The youth team then struck again seconds before the half-time whistle to make it 4-0, completing a disastrous opening 45 minutes for the new Leverkusen boss.
Ten Hag made no changes at half-time, a decision that quickly backfired when Flamengo scored their fifth goal less than ten minutes into the second half. On the hour mark, the Dutchman made a dramatic decision to substitute his entire team, including the two players who had come on in the first half.
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|The team were 4-0 down at the end of the first half
A total of 13 changes saw former Bundesliga champions Granit Xhaka, Alex Grimaldo and Patrick Schick enter the fray. The mass substitution brought some stability, with youngster Montrell Culbreath pulling one back for Leverkusen in the 71st minute.
Despite appearing more settled in the closing stages, the Germans were unable to find another breakthrough as they departed Rio de Janeiro thoroughly humiliated.
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The defeat marked a dismal beginning for Ten Hag, who took over from Xabi Alonso following the Spaniard's departure in May. Ten Hag had been dismissed by Manchester United in October 2024 after two-and-a-half years in charge, with a defeat to West Ham proving the final straw.
During his Old Trafford tenure from May 2022 to October 2024, he won 70 of his 128 matches and secured both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup
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|Erik Ten Hag was at Old Trafford for almost 2 years
At Leverkusen, he has strengthened the squad with signings including Jarrell Quansah and Malik Tillman, though neither featured in Friday's squad.
Ten Hag must wait nine days for his next opportunity when Leverkusen face Bochum, followed by pre-season fixtures against Fortuna Sittard, Pisa and Club World Cup champions Chelsea.