A plane crash, fireworks disaster & car tragedy - how Twente shaped Ten Hag

Manchester United head Erik 10 Hag faces a nine adjacent to his bosom successful nan Europa League connected Wednesday, but besides 1 wherever tragedies shaped his fledgling career.

At FC Twente a team-mate of Ten Hag's died successful a level crash. A twelvemonth later different subordinate was killed successful a car accident.

When Ten Hag was skipper a fatal fireworks disaster stunned nan club's city.

These 3 moments person shaped United's upcoming opponents Twente. They besides made Ten Hag into nan man he is today.

Andy Scharmin was skipper of nan Netherlands Under-21 side. He was expected to beryllium nan adjacent superstar successful Dutch, and European, football.

"Scharmin and Erik were akin ages, they came from nan aforesaid village," ex-Twente goalkeeper Theo Snelders told BBC Sport.

On 7 June 1989 Scharmin and 16 different young footballers were flying to Suriname for a pre-season friendly, to raise consciousness of Dutch-Surinamese players erstwhile their level collapsed connected its attack to landing.

In total, 176 group connected committee were killed, including Scharmin, 13 of his team-mates and their coach.

"It was a immense calamity for nan club," said Snelders, who played pinch Scharmin for 2 years.

Ten Hag and different Twente players were pallbearers astatine Scharmin's ceremonial and nan United head has a time of mourning connected 7 June each year.

"Scharmin was an unimaginable jock and my friend," Ten Hag said a fewer years ago.

"I will ne'er hide my team-mate Edwin Hilgerink opinionated connected my doorstep to show maine that a level had collapsed pinch Andy and his mother connected board."

A precocious developer, Ten Hag was still successful nan younker set-up astatine Twente erstwhile Scharmin was killed.

He played 2 seasons pinch nan first squad earlier transferring to second-tier De Graafschap successful nan summertime of 1990.

That summertime Twente signed promising midfielder Tom Krommendijk, 23, from Feyenoord.

After nan first lucifer of nan play Krommendijk was driving location erstwhile he mislaid power of his car and died successful nan resulting crash.

Two players dying successful 14 months, astatine 1 club.

Ten Hag had only conscionable near Twente but his connections were still heavy - indeed, he would rejoin successful 1992.

"Twente brought maine a lot," Ten Hag said successful his news convention connected Tuesday earlier United's match. "[There is] a awesome woody of history there."

"I was portion of their first younker team. Twente is nan squad I travel nan most. I watch them arsenic a fan, not arsenic an analyst."

In 1994, Ten Hag near his boyhood nine again to play for chap Dutch nine RKC Waalwijk. He past spent a play astatine Utrecht but returned to Twente successful 1996, wherever he vanished his playing profession six years later - astatine nan property of 32.

In May 2000 nan metropolis of Enschede, wherever Twente play, was nan segment of a catastrophic disaster aft an detonation astatine a fireworks warehouse.

Twenty-three group were killed, 950 were injured, and nan suburb of Roombeek had to beryllium rebuilt.

Ten Hag was skipper of Twente astatine nan clip and 3 days later led retired his broadside earlier an affectional 2-2 tie astatine NAC Breda.

Twelve months aft nan disaster Ten Hag skippered Twente to nan Dutch Cup, nan club's first trophy successful 24 years.

"That brought truthful overmuch joyousness to nan area," said Snelders. "These tragedies, that’s why Twente now is truthful close.

"There’s a [Dutch] connection called Noaberschap. You look aft your neighbours, to thief each other, support an oculus connected them. That's what nan eastbound of Holland stands for. That's Twente."

Ten Hag retired from playing astatine nan extremity of nan pursuing season. He was made caput of younker improvement and, on pinch Snelders, now backmost successful nan Netherlands, started to gain his coaching badges.

"Me and Erik had to do 18 sessions and we ever drove together, isolated from erstwhile nan carnival was astir and Erik wanted to go, truthful he chucked it," said Snelders.

Despite his occasional absence, Ten Hag still sewage his coaching badges because he was "well-liked" and beautiful overmuch "knew his knowledge already" added Snelders.

"He wasn't rather nan teacher’s pet, but nan teachers were ever asking 'do you work together pinch that Erik?'"

By nan clip of his last play pinch Twente, 2008-09, Ten Hag was truthful embedded pinch nan nine that head Steve McClaren - formerly England leader - fto him return training sessions for nan first 2 months of his tenure, truthful arsenic to not upset nan side's culture.

Ten Hag near to go a coach astatine PSV Eindhoven successful 2009, having helped style nan modern Twente. But really did nan nine power him?

"He cares astir people. He is simply a very caring soul," said Snelders. "He is not conscionable willing successful nan subordinate but besides nan person, and their families.

"I didn't deliberation he'd beryllium managing Manchester United [when he near Twente]. But he made nan correct steps to create and he's very bully pinch young players.

"He's sewage nan talent. At Ajax he grew again. What he did location was unbelievable."