Bayer Leverkusen's Coaching Search: Filipe Luís Declines, Glasner and Iraola in Contention

Bayer Leverkusen thought they had their man. Filipe Luís, the serial winner at Flamengo, was the preferred choice to take over on the touchline. Eight trophies in three years, a reputation for sharp, modern football, and the blessing of sporting bosses Simon Rolfes and Fernando Carro – the plan was clear.

Then the door slammed shut.

Sky reports that Leverkusen moved decisively for the Brazilian club’s coach, only to see that route blocked. The hierarchy had already drawn up “concrete options B and C”. Now those contingency plans are suddenly centre stage.

Glasner and Iraola Back in Play

Two names have been circling Leverkusen for weeks: Oliver Glasner and Andoni Iraola.

Both have told their current clubs they will not extend their contracts and will be free from 1 July. Both bring a defined, aggressive identity. Both are used to working under pressure.

Glasner’s stock has risen again this week. On Wednesday, in his farewell match with Crystal Palace, he delivered another European trophy, edging Rayo Vallecano 1–0 in the Conference League final. It adds to his memorable Europa League triumph with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022 and underlines why he sits high on every shortlist in Europe.

Iraola, meanwhile, has turned AFC Bournemouth into one of the Premier League’s most awkward opponents, a side that presses high, runs hard and plays on the front foot. His decision not to renew on the south coast has alerted ambitious clubs looking for a modern, tactically sharp coach. Leverkusen fit that profile perfectly.

The question now is whether the Bundesliga club can convince one of them to anchor their rebuild.

Hjulmand Steadies, but Does Not Save, the Ship

All of this unfolds with Xabi Hjulmand – contract until 2027 – still officially in charge. Officially, but only just.

Leverkusen have yet to confirm anything, yet inside and outside the club there is little doubt: the 54-year-old Dane is expected to depart this summer. He arrived early in the season, thrown into a dressing room still shaking from Erik ten Hag’s abrupt collapse in relations with the sporting management, sections of the coaching staff and parts of the squad.

Hjulmand brought calm. He stabilised the mood. The chaos eased.

The results, though, never truly caught fire. Leverkusen missed out on Champions League qualification, fell to Bayern in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals and were knocked out by Arsenal in the last 16 of the Champions League. A sixth-place finish in the Bundesliga felt flat for a club that had spent heavily and talked boldly.

Leverkusen rarely dazzled. Several expensive signings failed to match their price tags. Performances often looked functional rather than convincing, with too many games decided on moments rather than control. For a board that had backed this squad financially, that was never going to be enough.

The verdict is harsh but simple: Hjulmand stopped the bleeding, but he did not start a new era.

A Clean Break – and a Race for the Right Man

So a fresh start is coming. Rolfes and Carro want a head coach who can squeeze more out of a talented, underperforming squad, someone who can reconnect the team with a demanding fanbase and restore Leverkusen’s status among Europe’s elite.

Glasner brings European pedigree and a proven knack for navigating knockout football. Iraola offers an energetic, pressing blueprint that could ignite a squad built for intensity. Both are available. Both know they hold strong cards in this summer’s coaching carousel.

Leverkusen must get this one right. Another misstep, after a season of underachievement and expensive frustration, is not an option.

Monaco Join the Managerial Market

On the other side of the continent, AS Monaco are preparing for their own reset.

Sebastien Pocognoli, appointed in October and tasked with rescuing a drifting campaign, is also set to leave after just over six months in charge. His late stumble proved costly. Back-to-back defeats to Lille and Strasbourg at the end of the season pushed Monaco out of the European places, a failure that carries both sporting and financial consequences.

The decision in the principality adds another big club to a crowded market for coaches. Ambitious, impatient, and with clear expectations of European football, Monaco now compete with Leverkusen and others for the same limited pool of elite managers.

One club will land the right man and surge forward. Another may be left explaining, again, how a season slipped away.