Unbothered Ten Hag: 'I don't give a s**t about pre-season results'
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 19.07.25. | 16:50
Bayer Leverkusen's boss had a pretty interesting reaction following a humiliation on his debut and a 5-1 defeat to Flamengo U-20
Before the game, many saw it as just another friendly match. After it, the entire world is talking about the humiliation Bayer Leverkusen suffered, losing 5-1 to Flamengo U-20. And all that on Erik ten Hag's debut with the German giants!
Following the match, the Dutch tactician logically tried to take the pressure off his team and explain the reasons for defeat, highlighting that his lineup was full of youngsters, though five starters were first-team players (Mark Flekken, Amine Adli, Arthur, Victor Boniface, and Jonas Hofmann).
"I knew beforehand that we couldn't field a good team for 90 minutes. But the most important thing was that we stayed fit. There was no connection, no team. But they'd never played together before," the tactician said via Kicker.
🗣️ Erik ten Hag after losing 5-1 to Flamengo u20s: "The result looks bad, but I don't really give a shit about results in pre-season."
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) July 18, 2025
"We must never lose, not even by a big margin, but it was important to me that I do not lose players." pic.twitter.com/tN64Hglu1n
Ten Hag further claimed that his team significantly raised the level after more experienced players were subbed in at the hour mark and had an interesting (to say the least) comment about pre-season results.
"We dominated and created many chances. But our senior players were also on the pitch. And then you see a different level. I don't really give a s**t about preseason results. It's about what I saw," Ten Hag stated, making no attempt to censor himself.
