Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag leaves on private jet after emotional airport farewell following Man United sacking
Erik ten Hag waved farewell to Manchester with a heartfelt hug of an airport employee after being dismissed of his responsibilities as Manchester United manager on Monday.
Ten Hag was fired after the team’s devastating 2-1 loss to West Ham at the London Stadium, putting United in 14th place in the Premier League rankings and ending his turbulent two-and-a-half-year career with yet another defeat.
The club named Ruud van Nistelrooy as temporary manager and issued a statement saying: “Erik ten Hag has resigned as manager of United’s men’s first squad. Erik took over in April 2022 and guided the team to two domestic titles, the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024. We thank Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well in the future.”
Following the news, Ten Hag was spotted fleeing to the rear seat of a car leaving United’s Carrington training base and was swiftly transported to Manchester Airport to catch a flight back to the Netherlands. He boarded the jet and exchanged tearful goodbyes with airport officials before departing for the Netherlands on Monday afternoon.
Erik ten Hag
Former Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag (Image: Eamonn and James Clarke).
United veteran Neville responded to the sacking, stating that he was not surprised by the decision to fire Ten Hag, given the unavoidable nature of the move following the team’s 3-0 home loss to Tottenham last month.
Following the announcement of Ten Hag’s resignation, Gary Neville spoke with Sky Sports, saying: “That game against Tottenham a few weeks back was the type of game where I believed I would seen it before and knew how it would go.
“It was a really awful day for United and Erik ten Hag, and I believe it surprised everyone. I believe that was the game in which everyone expected the season to pick up and they to rebound from a tough start, but it has only gotten worse. Overall, I believe that the issues of the results and performance levels have led to the owners’ decision to fire Ten Hag, and I doubt that anybody would be surprised.”
