Bayer Leverkusen Pursues New Coaches After Filipe Luís Declines

Bayer Leverkusen thought they had their man. Filipe Luís, the serial winner at Flamengo, was the first choice to take over in the dugout at the BayArena, the preferred option of sporting bosses Simon Rolfes and Fernando Carro. Eight trophies in three years in Rio had made a persuasive case.

But that door has closed.

With Filipe Luís off the table, Leverkusen are back to their “concrete options B and C” — and the names circling are anything but low profile. Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace and AFC Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola are both in the frame, both out of contract on 1 July, both admired across Europe for the way their teams play and compete.

Glasner’s Stock Soars Again

If Glasner was already on the list, Wednesday night only underlined why.

In his farewell game with Crystal Palace, the Austrian coach delivered yet another European trophy, adding the UEFA Conference League to his CV with a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano. It comes two years after that thunderous Europa League triumph with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022 — a run that firmly established him as one of the continent’s sharpest tournament operators.

That kind of pedigree is exactly what a club like Leverkusen, bruised by a season of near-misses, now craves.

Iraola, meanwhile, will leave Bournemouth this summer having also declined to extend his deal. The Basque coach’s name has long been associated with high-intensity football and rapid structural improvements, traits that appeal to a Leverkusen hierarchy seeking a jolt of energy and identity.

Hjulmand Era Nears Its End

Officially, Leverkusen are saying nothing. No statement, no confirmation. Unofficially, everyone expects the same outcome: the club and Hjulmand will part ways this summer.

The 54-year-old Dane arrived shortly after the season had begun, thrown into the job in the wake of Erik ten Hag’s spectacular breakdown in relations with the club’s sporting management, parts of the coaching staff and elements of the squad. Hjulmand calmed the waters. He stabilised the dressing room. He put out fires.

But stability was never going to be enough.

Leverkusen finished sixth in the Bundesliga, missing out on Champions League qualification. They fell in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals to Bayern. Arsenal knocked them out in the last 16 of the Champions League. Respectable on paper. Insufficient in reality.

The performances rarely caught fire. The team seldom convinced over 90 minutes. Several expensive signings failed to live up to their price tags, and the football often felt as if it was being played with the handbrake on. For a club that sees itself as a permanent Champions League presence, that combination is fatal for any head coach.

So a reset is coming. A new face, a new voice, a new idea of what Leverkusen should look like on the pitch.

Whether that means Glasner, Iraola or another candidate from the shadows of “Option C” will define the club’s next cycle.

Monaco Also Reaching for the Reset Button

Across the continent, AS Monaco are drawing the same conclusion.

Sebastien Pocognoli, appointed in October, is also set to be replaced after just over six months in charge. Monaco’s season ended with back-to-back defeats to Lille and Strasbourg, a late collapse that cost them European football.

In a league where margins are thin and ambitions are high, that kind of finish leaves scars.

Two clubs, two benches, one message: patience is shrinking at the top level. The next appointments at Leverkusen and Monaco will not just shape their touchlines — they will decide how far either side can reach in Europe over the next few years.