Bayer Leverkusen has finalized an agreement with a new coach to succeed Erik ten Hag at the helm of the German club. Surprisingly, the choice is not a well-known one, unlike the names circulated in the last week.
German media had linked Leverkusen with signing former Juventus coach Thiago Motta and former Real Madrid Castilla coach Raúl González, along with other names such as former Tottenham coach Ange Postecoglou and former RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose.
Ultimately, Leverkusen’s management settled on appointing Kasper Hjulmand, the former Denmark national team coach, as Ten Hag’s successor, on a two-year contract.
The Danish coach’s contract is expected to be officially announced in the coming hours. He will sign the contract and then lead his first training session on Wednesday in preparation for Friday’s Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt.
The 53-year-old coach previously worked in the Bundesliga 10 years ago with Mainz, but his experience lasted only seven months and he was fired.
Hjulmand gained notoriety after his successful tenure with the Danish national team from 2020 to 2024, leading his country to the semi-finals of Euro 2020 and the round of 16 at Euro 2024, while exiting the 2022 World Cup in the group stage.
