The German club Bayer Leverkusen announced via its official website the separation from head coach Erik ten Hag, based on a recommendation from the club's management and the approval of the shareholders' committee, the highest supervisory body in the club.

The statement clarified that the coaching staff will temporarily oversee the team's training until further notice.

Simon Rolfes, the club's sporting director, said: "This decision was not easy for us; no one wanted to take this step. However, the past weeks have shown that building a new and successful team in this formation is no longer possible. We fully believe in the quality of our team, and we will now do everything we can to take the next steps in our development within a new formation."

For his part, Fernando Caro, the club's CEO, stated: "The separation at this early stage of the season is painful, but it was necessary. We remain committed to achieving our goals for this season, and to do so, we need the best possible conditions at all levels and in all aspects of the first team. Now, these conditions must be fully implemented and utilized again."