Erik Ten Hag was officially unveiled as Bayer Leverkusen  new manager on Monday.  He quickly dismissed any speculation of a return to Ajax, saying the Dutch giants “were never an option.”

“I had very good conversations here,” said Ten Hag, who returns to Germany after coaching Bayern Munich’s reserves from 2013 to 2015. “I already knew a lot about the club and the Bundesliga. I think it’s a nice project to build something with good players.”

On choosing Leverkusen, he added: “The Premier League and Bundesliga have similarities and differences, that’s clear. German football and the Bundesliga mean a lot in world football… When people ask what football is, it is, as they say, a game of 11 against 11, and ultimately the Germans win.”