Sancho came off the bench and within minutes grabbed an assist as he laid the ball on a plate for captain Marco Reus to score their second goal in a 3-0 win away to Darmstadt.
It was an inspired start by the United outcast, who had been banished from the first team and forced to train away from the squad. However, despite Ten Hag’s previous comments on Sancho’s performances in training, the £73million man looked sharp on his return to Germany.
Sancho and Ten Hag’s public feud concerned the winger’s attitude on the training pitch, but Watzke has fired a thinly-veiled jibe at the Dutchman for complaining about Sancho’s professionalism.
“Jadon Sancho has no discipline problem at all,” he told Sky Sports Germany. “I have no idea who invented that story.”
That is despite Ten Hag citing Sancho’s behind-the-scenes application as the reason why he was left out of the squad for an away trip to Arsenal at the beginning of the season, which initially stirred up the belief that Sancho’s professionalism needed improvement.
“On his performance on training we didn’t select him,” Ten Hag said when asked about Sancho’s absence from the squad. “You have to reach the level every day at Manchester United. You can make choices in the front line, so in this game he wasn’t selected.”
Ten Hag also refused to comment on Sancho during the final few months at Utd before a loan move to Dortmund was secured, but had some parting words for the 23-year-old once he departed.
“I hope he’s doing well, so I wish him the best of good luck,” Ten Hag said in a press conference. “That’s it. I hope he’s doing well and he’ll be a success.”
Ten Hag was then asked a second time about Sancho’s return to his previous club but elected not to answer. “I replied [to the previous question],” he added. “I think it’s enough.”
