Bayer Leverkusen appoints Kasper Hjulmand as Erik ten Hag replacement

Bayer Leverkusen have appointed Kasper Hjulmand as head coach to replace Erik ten Hag after he was dismissed on September 1 after just three games in charge.

He signed a two-year contract until June 2027, committing to lead the team for the next two years.

The 53-year-old Danish coach previously managed Denmark, guiding them to the semi-finals of Euro 2020 and the last 16 of Euro 2024.

He also had a stint as Mainz 05 coach in the 2014/15 Bundesliga season.

Die Werkself were linked to former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou before settling for Hjulmand.

Leverkusen are 12th in the Bundesliga after picking up one point from their opening two games.

The club won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal during 2023-24, going the entire domestic season unbeaten to end Bayern Munich’s run of 11 successive German top-flight titles under Xabi Alonso in the 23/24 campaign.

Fernando Carro, CEO of Leverkusen, said in a statement, “In addition to his strong technical ability as a coach, Kasper Hjulmand’s principles of team leadership also impressed us. A newly assembled team like ours, which is capable of development, needs clear guidelines and will benefit from Kasper’s transparent, communicative, and empathetic style.”

Hjulmand responded to his appointment, “I have always seen Bayer Leverkusen as a very well-managed, well-structured, and highly ambitious club. This impression has been confirmed in recent days.”

“It’s an honor to be entrusted with a team like this. After outstanding successes in the past, I am now very motivated to help shape the future of Bayer Leverkusen with both established and exciting new players.”

Leverkusen returns to action against Eintracht Frankfurt on September 12. They will also kick off their Champions League campaign with a trip to Danish champions Copenhagen on September 18.