The Bayer 04 bosses have set themselves a target for answering the coaching question. More and more candidates such as former Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou are popping up—but the favorite is not among them.
Monday’s deadline day marked the end of Erik ten Hag’s tenure as coach at Bayer 04. Signed at the end of May, the 55-year-old had to pack his bags just three months later. From the club’s point of view, there was too big a gap between the Dutchman’s expectations and reality.
Now the question arises in Leverkusen as to who will succeed the coach, whose assistants, Andries Ulderink and Rogier Meijer, have taken over the team. The latter took on the role of head coach on Wednesday in a two 30-minute test match against third-division side Viktoria Cologne (2-1). If Bayer does not find a replacement by the time they play Frankfurt on Friday next week, the 43-year-old, who coached NEC Nijmegen for five years, will sit on the bench as an interim solution.
The new coach is to lead the preparations for the Frankfurt game
However, this is not the plan. Instead, the new coach is expected to arrive in Leverkusen at the beginning of next week. “With the national team players now away, they won’t all be back until Tuesday or Wednesday,” said managing director Simon Rolfes, referring to the current international break. “We have a few days, which we will also take advantage of.”
Fernando Carro, CEO of Bayer 04 Fußball GmbH, explained in Berlin on the sidelines of the DFL conference: “We hope that training next Tuesday can perhaps be led by someone new, but I can’t guarantee that.” However, Bayer is said to be well on its way to finding a solution. Carro’s statement (“We are working hard to find a solution quickly. It will only be certain once it has been signed”) also suggests this.
It remains to be seen to what extent the requirements profile will be completely fulfilled
It remains to be seen to what extent the new coach will fully meet the requirements profile. In addition to “clarity” regarding the new coach’s playing philosophy, Rolfes mentioned further criteria on Monday. “The question is,” said the 43-year-old, “what is important for the team right now? What is important for the club? For the near future?”
What is needed now is clear in some respects. The new coach should have a certain amount of experience and a track record of success, ideally in the Bundesliga, because he will have to hit the ground running. In addition, the candidate needs to be a people person who can quickly establish hierarchies in the young and relatively inexperienced team. “Leadership” was also one of Rolfes’ buzzwords.
Coach must fit in with a 3-4-2-1-oriented squad
It goes without saying that ten Hag’s successor must have a clear sporting style that fits in with the club’s philosophy and the 3-4-2-1 formation. Since the focus is initially on candidates who are not currently under contract and therefore immediately available, all these criteria greatly narrow the field of potential aspirants.
Taking all the points in the requirements profile together, only a very few candidates remain, perhaps two among the clubless coaches. The obvious candidates such as Marco Rose (most recently Leipzig) or Roger Schmidt (most recently Benfica) are no longer in the running.
Exploring the market already in preparation
The pool of suitable candidates is very small, and those with Bundesliga experience are practically non-existent. The club quickly realized this during the preparation phase, when it was already actively exploring the market.
On Wednesday, Ange Postecoglou, who was let go by Tottenham after finishing 17th in the league despite winning the Europa League, emerged as the latest candidate. However, the 60-year-old is not considered the favorite for the job. Postecoglou is a clear advocate of the 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, which would not necessarily suit the Bayer squad, which is built for a 3-4-2-1 formation.
The favorite should speak Spanish well
One thing is clear: after the mistake with ten Hag, Bayer needs a strong solution with a high probability of success. Even if coaches such as Raul (most recently Real Madrid Castilla), Claudio Giraldez (Celta Vigo), and Inigio Perez (Rayo Vallecano) are also out of the question, the favorite should speak Spanish well.
