Manchester United sacked manager Erik ten Hag at the end of October, but the former Ajax boss’ previous suitors are now on the lookout for a new manager of their own
Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has yet to decide on his next move, but former suitors AS Roma now find themselves in the hunt for a new manager once again.
Ten Hag was sacked by United at the end of October after a dismal start to the 2024-25 season. His successor, Ruben Amorim, arrived in Manchester on Monday after an agreement was reached between the Premier League club and his former employers Sporting Lisbon.
United hired Ten Hag in 2022 after his impressive record with Ajax, but Roma were interested even earlier. They attempted to explore a move in 2019, only to end up opting for Paulo Fonseca, and moved for one-time United boss Jose Mourinho when Fonseca left in 2021.
Mourinho’s own spell ended in early 2024, and the Giallorossi have cycled through two managers in the months since. While there have been no fresh reports over a return for the Dutchman, the interest in 2019 appeared to be very serious.
Back then, Ten Hag was hot property after taking Ajax within seconds of the Champions League final. Roma had parted ways with Claudio Ranieri after the Italian joined on a short-term deal midway through the previous season, and appeared to see the Dutchman as their best option.
According to reports at the time from De Telegraaf, though, it was a non-starter. Ajax were reportedly upset at Roma’s behaviour during negotiations over star man Hakim Ziyech the previous summer, denying the Italian club permission to talk to their manager.
Ziyech ended up standing out in Ajax’s Champions League run, which included memorable victories over Real Madrid and Juventus, and reportedly agreed terms with Roma before they went cold on the deal. The Moroccan would eventually join Chelsea in 2020, playing more than 100 times for the London club across three seasons.
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Despite a busy summer in which Artem Dovbyk and Matias Soule joined in big-money deals, Roma have endured a tough season. Daniele De Rossi only lasted until September, while successor Ivan Juric lasted less than two months in the hotseat.
Roma have won just one of their four Europa League matches and remain in the bottom half of Serie A. Sunday’s defeat at home to Bologna was a fourth in the last five games under Juric, whose exit was confirmed later that same day.
“We would like to thank Ivan Juric for his hard work these past weeks,” a club statement read. “He handled a difficult environment with the utmost professionalism, and for that we are grateful.
“We wish him all the best in his future endeavors. The search for a new head coach has already begun and we expect an announcement in the coming days.”
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