Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been accused of being ‘almost a dictator’ during his time at Bayern Munich.
That’s according to Riccardo Basta, who played under the Dutch manager during his time at FC Bayern II.
Ten Hag was in charge of the German giants’ youth side for two years between 2013 and 2015 after arriving following a spell as manager of Go-Ahead Eagles.
He would impress in Germany, taking charge of 72 games in total and enjoying a points per game tally of 2.14 and helping to develop talent before joining FC Utrecht in July 2015.
He’s still fondly remembered at the club, with many having put him down as a potential Bayern Munich manager in the future if and when he leaves Manchester United.
That is certainly a possibility as he continues to win fans in the game, having impressed with Manchester United this season following his move from Ajax.
It seems Basta is not among those who think highly of him, though, insisting the Dutch boss was like a like a dictator.
“Every child dreams of becoming a professional footballer and at Bayern I was very close to that dream,” he told Sport 1, relayed by Soccer News.
“But I was laughed at, and false promises were made. After my first contract extension, he (Ten Hag, ed.) told me that they were counting on me and that there was a plan with me.
“I was supposed to become a link between the first and second team and occasionally be in the squad. I thought that was great, of course. In the end, however, nothing came of it.
“Personally, I did not have a good relationship with Ten Hag. He was almost a dictator. He had a plan and we players had to follow it.”
