Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui admitted that he “feels responsible” for Erik ten Hag’s dismissal last season after failing to “perform.”
The versatile fullback had only joined United two months before Ten Hag was sacked in October 2024. Mazraoui was snapped up for a modest €15 million (£13 million, $17.6 million) from Bayern Munich on the recommendation of the Dutch coach, who had grown to admire the Morocco international during their shared time at Ajax.
It was Ten Hag who handed a 20-year-old Mazraoui his senior debut back in 2018. That would be the first of 137 appearances he made for the Amsterdam outfit before leaving in the same 2022 summer as Ten Hag. After two injury-riddled seasons at Bayern, Mazraoui was reunited with his favourite coach at Old Trafford.
During a candid interview with The National, Mazraoui admitted that it was “difficult” for him after Ten Hag left. “He was also a reason I came to the club,” the 27-year-old sighed. “You come to a club because for the club itself, but also for the manager.”
“I worked some good years with him at Ajax, so that’s also one of the reasons I came here. And then if he’s gone after two or three months, that’s never nice, because you feel also responsible for that. Because if the players perform, the manager stays, it’s that simple.”
Mazraoui only made 13 appearances for United under Ten Hag, racking up just four wins—one of which was in the Carabao Cup against third-tier Barnsley. Ironically enough, the final blow for Ten Hag came in a fixture they should not have lost.
After making a strong start to their clash with West Ham United, the Red Devils conspired to fall behind in the 74th minute. Casemiro deservedly hauled the visitors level only for Matthijs de Ligt to concede a penalty in stoppage time. The Premier League would later admit that it was a refereeing error to award the spot kick which Jarrod Bowen converted to condemn Ten Hag to his fate.
Incoming boss Ruben Amorim valued Mazraoui’s versatility and the admiration is mutual. “A great manager, a great person,” he said of the head coach. “I really love to work with him. I like him a lot. His way of thinking, his way of managing, his way of talking. He’s like a manager with a lot of values, which I have the same. So, yeah, that works great together.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘It’s That Simple’—Man Utd Star Takes Responsibility for Erik ten Hag Sacking.