German Giants Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed that Kasper Hjulmand will take over as the clubs new head coach, Softfootball reported that the gaffer was the front leading choice following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag after just two Bundesliga matches in charge.
The 53-year-old Dane has signed a contract until 30 June 2027 and will take charge of his first match at home against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Hjulmand arrives at the BayArena with significant international experience. He managed the Danish national team from 2020 to 2024, guiding them to the semi-finals of Euro 2020, where they were narrowly beaten by England in extra time. His tenure ended after Denmark’s 2-0 defeat to Germany in the Round of 16 at Euro 2024. Before that, he had a brief spell in the Bundesliga with Mainz 05 during the 2014/15 season, succeeding Thomas Tuchel.
Leverkusen’s managing director of sport, Simon Rolfes, welcomed the new coach in a ststement published on the clubs official website, noting that the club had been tracking his progress for some time.
We are delighted to have brought in Kasper Hjulmand, whose work we have followed closely over a long period of time. His assistant coach with Denmark, Ismael Camenforte, also worked for us for several years. Kasper even recommended Ismael to us at the time. As a result, his training methods are well known to us at the club and Kasper also knows our club very well from the last few years. He will now work with our team to re-establish a clear and proactive style of play. Kasper is the right man to develop our new Werkself side into a top team that will strive to achieve the most ambitious national and international goals.
CEO Fernando Carro also praised the Dane’s leadership qualities, describing him as a “transparent, communicative and empathetic” coach, attributes he believes will benefit a squad that has undergone significant changes this summer following the departure of Xabi Alonso and several key players.
The Club also made an nnouncement post on its official X account.
They tweeted:
Speaking at his unveiling, Hjulmand expressed pride at being given the role. He said:
I have always seen Bayer 04 as a very well-run and ambitious club, and that impression has only grown stronger in recent days, It is an honour to be entrusted with such a team. I am highly motivated to shape the future of Bayer Leverkusen with both proven and exciting new players.
Hjulmand now faces the immediate challenge of steadying Leverkusen’s campaign after a turbulent start to the Bundesliga season, while also laying the foundations for long-term success.
