Bayer Leverkusen appoints Carles Martinez Novell as head coach after sacking Kasper Hjulmand
The Bundesliga club has signed the 42-year-old Spaniard on a two-year deal starting July 1, replacing Kasper Hjulmand after a single season.
Bayer Leverkusen has moved to resolve its coaching situation by appointing Spaniard Carles Martinez Novell as its new head coach. The 42-year-old arrives from French Ligue 1 side Toulouse, where he spent the last three seasons, and succeeds the departing Kasper Hjulmand. The club announced the deal on Thursday, with Martinez Novell set to officially take charge on July 1, 2026.
The appointment
Martinez Novell has signed a contract valid until June 30, 2028, according to a club statement. He leaves Toulouse after his contract there expires at the end of the month, making the move a free transfer. Leverkusen's managing director for sport, Simon Rolfes, praised the new coach's track record with young players and his ability to forge a cohesive unit from an international squad.
Carles Martínez has successfully developed numerous young players in Toulouse and formed a strong unit from an internationally influenced team.
Rolfes also described Martinez Novell as a coach with clear principles and a modern playing philosophy, expressing confidence that he can provide the right impetus for the club's sporting future.
A turbulent post-Alonso era
Martinez Novell becomes the third permanent head coach at the BayArena since the departure of Xabi Alonso at the end of the historic 2024-2025 season, which yielded a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double and a Europa League final appearance. The club first appointed Dutchman Erik ten Hag, who lasted only two matches before being replaced by Hjulmand. While results improved under the Dane, the team ultimately fell short of its primary objective, finishing sixth in the Bundesliga and missing out on Champions League qualification.
Martinez Novell's background
The Catalan coach is a product of FC Barcelona's famed La Masia academy and is known for a possession-based style of play. He was never a professional footballer, instead building his career through youth coaching roles at Barcelona and Espanyol, followed by stints with youth teams in Qatar and Kuwait. He joined Toulouse as an assistant to Philippe Montanier for the 2022-2023 season, during which the club won the Coupe de France. He was promoted to head coach for the 2023-2024 campaign.
In his first senior head coaching role, Martinez Novell guided Toulouse to three consecutive mid-table finishes in Ligue 1, placing 11th, 10th, and finally 9th in the most recent season. He also led the team in the Europa League, where they advanced from the group stage before being eliminated by Benfica.
The task ahead
The immediate mandate for Martinez Novell is clear: to steer Bayer Leverkusen back into the Champions League. The club, German champions in 2024, finished as runners-up in the 2024-2025 season under Alonso but slipped to sixth place in the campaign just concluded. The new coach will be expected to reverse that decline and mount a stronger challenge at the top of the Bundesliga table.
