Carles Martínez Novell has been appointed Bayer Leverkusen head coach on a two-year deal through June 2028. He replaces Kasper Hjulmand from 1 July after a season that ended with Leverkusen sixth in the Bundesliga and in the 2026/27 Europa League. This looks less like a left-field gamble than a club deciding it needs a calmer, more developmental next step.

Why Leverkusen have gone this way

The clearest part of the appointment is the profile. Martínez arrives with a reputation built around youth development and coaching structure, not star power. Simon Rolfes made that point plainly when he told bundesliga.com: "We carefully considered which coach would be the best fit for Bayer 04's next phase of development. At Toulouse, Carles Martínez successfully developed numerous young players and shaped an internationally diverse squad into a strong and cohesive team. In addition to that valuable experience, he brings considerable technical expertise from his time at the youth academy of FC Barcelona to Leverkusen. Carles is a coach with clear principles and a modern football philosophy. We are convinced that he can provide the right impetus for our sporting future."

That explanation fits where Bayer Leverkusen are. Sixth place and 59 points is respectable, but it is not the level the club want. Their final five Bundesliga games, DLWWL, summed up a side that never really settled.

Hjulmand's numbers also explain why the club did not stick. He won 24 of his 48 games in all competitions, drawing 12 and losing 12. Those are not disastrous figures, but they are not strong enough to remove the sense that Leverkusen needed a clearer direction.

What Martínez brings from Toulouse

Martínez's case rests on more than just a fresh face. He oversaw 120 competitive matches at Toulouse after taking the job in June 2023, and the current league finish was ninth. That matters because Leverkusen are not hiring off one isolated result. They are hiring a coach who has handled a proper workload and improved his standing in a major European league.

The European line on his CV will get attention too. Martínez guided Toulouse through the group stage of the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League, including a 3-2 win over Liverpool. A single result should never carry an appointment on its own, but it does show he has managed nights with pressure and tactical demands.

His years at Barcelona's La Masia between 2015 and 2020 help explain why Leverkusen see him as a fit for a rebuild. Rolfes also told goal.com: "Carles Martínez has successfully developed numerous young players at Toulouse and moulded an internationally diverse squad into a strong unit." For a club trying to regain stability, that sounds like the main selling point.

Surprise name, logical choice

The appointment was not framed the same way everywhere. Some coverage treated it simply as Leverkusen's confirmed choice, while other reporting cast it as a surprise. Both can be true to a point. Martínez was not the obvious public frontrunner, but the reasoning behind the decision is easy enough to follow once you look at Leverkusen's situation.

This is a club that has already moved through multiple coaches since Xabi Alonso left, and even the start of 2025/26 was unsettled, with Erik ten Hag lasting only three competitive matches before Hjulmand took over in September. Against that backdrop, another headline-grabbing appointment would have looked riskier than Leverkusen probably needed.

So the bet here is pretty clear. Leverkusen are trusting a 42-year-old coach with a development background, solid experience at Toulouse and a deal running to June 2028 to bring order back to a club that has had too little of it. Whether that works will be judged over time, but the logic of the appointment is stronger than the surprise around his name.

FAQ

Why have Bayer Leverkusen appointed Carles Martínez Novell?

Leverkusen have gone for Carles Martínez Novell as part of what looks like a reset after finishing sixth in the Bundesliga and changing coaches again. Simon Rolfes said the club saw him as the right fit for the next phase because of his work developing young players at Toulouse and his coaching background at La Masia.

What is Carles Martínez Novell's contract at Bayer Leverkusen?

Carles Martínez Novell will replace Kasper Hjulmand from 1 July on a two-year deal through to June 2028. The appointment gives Leverkusen a defined medium-term plan after another change in the dugout.

How did Toulouse perform under Carles Martínez Novell?

Martínez oversaw 120 competitive matches at Toulouse and ended the current league campaign in ninth place. He also took Toulouse through the group stage of the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League, with the standout result a 3-2 win over Liverpool.

Was Carles Martínez Novell expected to become Bayer Leverkusen coach?

Not really, at least not in the public conversation around the search. Some coverage focused simply on the appointment and Leverkusen's reasoning, but other reporting described it as a surprise. The stronger reading is that Leverkusen chose a profile that suited their rebuild rather than the most obvious name.

Compiled by the ClutchBrief Desk with AI assistance, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →