AMSTERDAM (AP) — Former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has agreed to take over as technical director of FC Twente from next season, the Dutch club said Tuesday.
Ten Hag's return to soccer comes after he was fired by Bayer Leverkusen after just three games at the start of the season.
The Dutchman had moved to Germany to rebuild his career after being fired by United in 2024, despite winning trophies in each of his two full seasons at the Premier League club.
Ten Hag, who said he was a fan of Twente when he was younger, began his playing career at the club, later returned for a second spell and coached there at youth level.
His latest role sees him take a step away from coaching.
“With my experience in the field of youth development, team building and top sports culture, I want to strengthen the technical foundation of FC Twente," he said.
Twente said Ten Hag will join the club next month before succeeding current technical director Jan Streuer, who will retire after this season.
Ten Hag was previously manager of Ajax where he won three Dutch league titles. At United, he won the English League Cup and FA Cup.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Erik ten Hag smiles during his presentation as new head coach of Bundesliga soccer club Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the BayArena stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
SYDNEY (AP) — Australia completed a 4-1 Ashes series victory with a five-wicket win in the fifth and final cricket test on Thursday.
The Australians bowled England out for 342 on the fifth morning of the series finale and were chasing 160 for victory.
Tension grew with a succession of wickets and a contentious DRS review before Alex Carey hit the winning runs to guide the Australians to 161 for five in 31 overs.
Carey finished unbeaten on 16, Cameron Green was unbeaten on 22, and 39-year-old Usman Khawaja was sent into retirement with a victory.
The Australians retained the Ashes with wins in the first three tests, but England was determined to narrow the margin after its drought-breaking win in the Boxing Day match at Melbourne.
The 39-year-old veteran walked to the crease after Steve Smith was bowled by Will Jacks and Australia was 92-3. He was given a guard of honor from the England players lining his way to the pitch, shook hands with Stokes and then gave teammate Marnus Labuschagne a hug.
He got off the mark with a paddled reverse sweep to the boundary and edged another ball between the wicketkeeper and Stokes at first slip for another 2.
Labuschagne had a chance on 20 when he slashed at a short ball from Tongue and was dropped by Bethell. Labuschagne took 16 off the next over, bowled by Jacks to get the chase down to 41.
That's when Khawaja was out — his last innings lasting seven deliveries and netting six runs — when he dragged a delivery from Josh Tongue onto his stumps. He kneeled and kissed the turf in front of a “Thankyou Uzzy” sign that was painted onto the field, and walked back to the pavilion for the last time after 88 test matches.
Labuschagne was then run out for 37 off 40 balls when he drove to mid-off and took off for a single, only to get sent back by Carey.
At that stage, Australia was 121-5 and tension was building until Carey and Green guided the hosts home.
England resumed on Day 5 at 302-8, a lead of 119 runs, and was bowled out for 342, a 159-run lead with 2 1/2 sessions remaining.
Mitchell Starc dismissed Jacob Bethell for 154 and Tongue (6) to finish off the England innings and finish the series with 31 wickets at an average of 19.9. The haul of wickets and some important runs earned him the player of the series honors.
The Australians started their second innings quickly, scoring 10 in the first over — including a pair of boundaries from Travis Head, who has scored three centuries in the series.
Head was caught in the deep for 29 and finished with 629 runs across five tests.
After getting a major reprieve on a contentious DRS decision on 16, Jake Weatherald misjudged a short ball from Tongue and his top edge was caught out for 34.
England’s continued bad luck with the decision review system added extra spice to the last day of the series.
England reviewed umpire Ahsan Raza’s not out decision to a caught behind appeal when Weatherald wafted at a delivery from Brydon Carse with Australia on 33-0.
DRS technology appeared to show a slight murmur when the ball passed the toe of Weatherald’s bat before going through to the wicketkeeper. But TV umpire Kumar Dharmasena deemed there was inconclusive evidence the ball touched the bat.
The England players were stunned, after watching the DRS replays on the stadium screens, and Stokes had to step in to move Carse away from umpire Raza as he demanded an explanation. Stokes calmly approached the umpire, discussed the decision-making process, and got on with the game.
The total crowd across five days of the fifth test was 211,032, a record for the Sydney Cricket Ground.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australia Usman Khawaja kisses the turf as he leaves the field during play on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Australia's Jake Weatherald bats during play on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
England's Brydon Carse, right, and teammate Ben Stokes talk to umpire Ahsan Raza during play on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
England's Matthew Potts, left, gestures to teammate Jacob Bethell after he was dismissed during play on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
England's Jacob Bethell bats during play on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
England's Jacob Bethell bats during play on the last day of the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
