Bayer Leverkusen have appointed former Denmark national team coach Kasper Hjulmand as their new manager on a contract running until 2027. The 53-year-old Dane replaces Erik ten Hag, who was dismissed after just two Bundesliga matches in charge.
“It’s an honour to be entrusted with such a team,” Hjulmand said in a club statement on Monday, adding that he is “highly motivated to shape the future of the club.”
The decision brings an end to a chaotic two-week period at Leverkusen. Ten Hag was sacked on September 1, barely two months after replacing Xabi Alonso, who had led the club to a historic unbeaten league and cup double in the 2023–24 season — including Leverkusen’s first-ever Bundesliga title — before joining Real Madrid.
Sporting director Simon Rolfes acknowledged that the club made a mistake in appointing Ten Hag, but insisted that continuing with him would have been “an even bigger mistake.” Leverkusen, who finished runners-up last season, had picked up just one point from their opening two league games.
Hjulmand, who stepped down as Denmark coach in July 2024, guided his country to the Euro 2020 semi-finals — narrowly losing to England — and the round of 16 at Euro 2024, where they were eliminated by hosts Germany. He had previously coached Danish side Nordsjaelland, leading them to their only domestic title in the 2011–12 season.
Though best known for his international success, Hjulmand has prior experience in the Bundesliga, having briefly managed Mainz during the 2014–15 season. His tenure lasted less than a year after a poor run of form that saw the team win just once in 13 matches.
Rolfes said the new manager would bring “a clear and dominant style of play” and would strive to meet the club’s “most ambitious national and international goals.”
Hjulmand is expected to take charge of the team for Friday’s Bundesliga clash against Eintracht Frankfurt, before leading Leverkusen into their Champions League opener next week — an away trip to Danish champions FC Copenhagen.
Ten Hag reacts to “unprecedented” dismissal
Ten Hag responded to his dismissal in a brief statement, describing it as “unprecedented” and “a complete surprise.” His exit makes him the earliest managerial casualty in Bundesliga history, surpassing the previous record of a coach being fired after five matches.
Ten Hag had joined Leverkusen on July 1, just eight months after being sacked by Manchester United. His time at Old Trafford yielded FA Cup and League Cup victories, but ended midway through the 2024–25 season after a dismal run of one win in eight matches — United’s worst start to a Premier League campaign in the modern era.
At Leverkusen, Ten Hag was handed a difficult task: to rebuild the squad following the departure of several key players and to maintain the high standards set by Alonso.
Exodus and struggles
The summer saw a major squad overhaul at Leverkusen. Star players including Florian Wirtz, Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah, Jeremie Frimpong, Amine Adli, and long-serving goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky all left the club.
Ten Hag was tasked with integrating over a dozen new signings, including three of the most expensive in the club’s history — Malik Tilmann, Jarell Quansah, and Eliesse Ben Seghir — for a combined fee of €102 million (approx. $120 million) plus bonuses.
His tenure started poorly, with a 5-1 defeat to Flamengo’s U-20s in a preseason friendly. A 4-0 win over fourth-tier Sonnenhof Grossaspach in the German Cup offered some early relief, but the league campaign began disastrously.
Leverkusen surrendered a lead to lose 2-1 at home to Hoffenheim, then threw away a 3-1 advantage to draw 3-3 against 10-man Werder Bremen, conceding twice in the final minutes.
By Sunday, German outlets Bild and Kicker were already reporting that Ten Hag was on the brink, despite having taken charge of just two official league matches.
Taking over after the most successful season in Leverkusen’s 120-year history was always going to be a tall order. But the speed and severity of Ten Hag’s dismissal underscore the club’s high expectations — and their unwillingness to take chances on a slow rebuild.
“This decision was not easy for us. Nobody wanted to take this step,” said sporting director Rolfes. “But the past few weeks have shown that the steps to build a new and successful team have not been effective.”
Club CEO Fernando Carro echoed the sentiment, describing the decision to sack Ten Hag as “painful, but necessary.”
AFP
