Trending 
Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday announced the appointment of Spaniard Carles Martinez Novell as manager, replacing former coach Kasper Hjulmand with immediate effect.
The 42-year-old Martinez Novell, who stepped down as Toulouse coach at the end of the 2025-26 season, signed a contract that runs until 2028.
This appointment continues a period of instability within the club’s coaching ranks since double-winning manager Xabi Alonso departed at the end of the 2024-25 season.
Leverkusen originally appointed former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag ahead of last season, but the Dutchman lasted just two league matches before Hjulmand replaced him.
While Hjulmand initially steadied the ship, he ultimately failed to guide Leverkusen back into the Champions League qualification spots.
German media reported that the club actively searched for a successor during the season.
German sports outlet Kicker noted that Leverkusen had reached the final stages of a deal with former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, but the Basque coach has since emerged as the leading candidate for the Liverpool job following Arne Slot’s sacking.
Martinez Novell previously served as assistant to Philippe Montanier when Toulouse won the French Cup in 2024, securing the first major trophy in that club’s history, before he took over the top dugout role.
This season, the Spaniard guided Toulouse to a ninth-place finish in Ligue 1 and orchestrated a run to the French Cup semi-finals.
Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes praised Martinez Novell’s track record with younger players and labelled him the best-suited coach for the next phase of the club’s development.
Rolfes stated that Carles possesses clear principles and a modern idea of the game, expressing total confidence that the new manager can provide the right impetus for the club’s sporting future.
Martinez Novell will speak to the media at an introductory press conference on Friday.
