Ajax manager Erik ten Hag denies Barcelona rumours

By Sam Varley, Reporter | 22 September 2021

Ajax manager Erik ten Hag denies rumours linking him to the Barcelona managerial job, amidst growing rumours of the sacking of Ronald Koeman.

Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has batted off links to La Liga giants Barcelona, amid growing pressure on current Blaugrana boss Ronald Koeman.

The Camp Nou side have won just two of their opening five games of the season in all competitions, while also playing out draws with Athletic Bilbao and strugglers Granada in Liga, and losing 3-0 to Bayern Munich on home turf in the opening round of Champions League group fixtures.

Such form has led to growing concern from the Barca hierarchy, who are now said to be gathering the £10m required to compensate the Dutchman should they sack him, and are planning for life without their former player at the helm.

Koeman's Dutch compatriot Erik ten Hag was linked with the job, but quickly denied the rumours, saying: "What do I have to do with all that? I am busy with Ajax. These rumours, that's fun for you, but not for me," as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.

The 51-year-old has been in the Ajax hot seat since December 2017 and has guided his side to two Dutch top-flight titles, while they comfortably led the table when the 2019-20 season was brought to an abrupt end due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Ten Hag also saw the Amsterdam giants reach the Champions League semi-finals in the 2018-19 campaign, as they were only denied a spot in the final by a late Tottenham Hotspur turnaround.