by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Bayer Leverkusen has appointed Kasper Hjulmand as its new head coach, the club confirmed on Sunday.
The 53-year-old former Denmark national coach takes charge following the brief and turbulent tenure of Erik ten Hag, who departed after just two months and three competitive games. Hjulmand will lead his first training session on Wednesday ahead of Leverkusen's Bundesliga home match against Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday, according to German outlets Kicker and Bild.
Hjulmand inherits one of the toughest assignments in German club football. The 2024 Bundesliga and German Cup winners lost coach Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid earlier in the summer, while eight key players - including Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Granit Xhaka, Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapie - also departed, leaving the squad in need of a complete rebuild.
Hjulmand, who declined an offer to manage Belgium in January after four successful years with Denmark, guided his national team to the UEFA Euro 2021 semifinals and the knockout stage of the 2024 edition. Known as a strong communicator and team-builder, he previously gained Bundesliga experience with Mainz 05 from 2014 to 2015, where he earned a solid reputation despite a short spell.
His tactical approach aligns with Leverkusen's preferred 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-1-2 systems, though expectations remain high after the club's historic first league title.
Sporting director Simon Rolfes described rebuilding the team as the club's greatest challenge, stressing the goal of reaching the semifinals of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League.
Since stepping down as Denmark coach, Hjulmand has served as an advisor for the Danish FA's youth teams. Reports indicate that contract will now be terminated so he can focus fully on his new role in Leverkusen. ■
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