Bayer Leverkusen gets an empathetic coach in Kasper Hjulmand

Kasper Hjulmand was once dismissed from Mainz for being a perceived tactical nerd. Afterward, he demonstrated his human quality, especially during Christian Eriksen's cardiac arrest. Bayer Leverkusen is now counting on that.

Kasper Hjulmand is back. 3,860 days after his dismissal from 1. FSV Mainz 05, the 53-year-old will be back on the Bundesliga bench. As Erik ten Hag's successor, he will dive straight into the icy waters of top-flight action with Bayer Leverkusen, who will face Eintracht Frankfurt (Friday, 8:30 p.m.).

Christian Heidel, who discovered Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel in Mainz, said at the time that Hjulmand was an "outstanding coach," but "besides tactics, we now also need a lot of emotion. A team has to grow together with the fans." The success (successor Martin Schmidt saved Mainz) may have proven Heidel right, but the new Leverkusen player has proven time and again that Hjulmand is far from an (emotionless) tactical nerd.

Just two years later, Heidel said: "Kasper Hjulmand is a top coach. Perhaps I didn't have enough patience with him back then – I was worried about Mainz 05." After his Bundesliga stint, the Dane moved to FC Nordsjælland – with whom he had won the league title in 2012. Hjulmand couldn't repeat that success, but third place in his first full season remains the club's second-best finish since the title.

At Nordsjælland, the sports science graduate was successful not only because of his tactical skills, but also because of his outstanding interactions with those around him. Hjulmand understands the players, but also finds the right words for the management and, above all, the fans. So, Heidel had exactly what he wanted back then—he just didn't see it.

But then the whole world saw it. On and after June 12, 2021, Hjulmand showed how much light he can shed when everything around him is dark. During the European Championship match against Finland, Danish superstar Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest, and the coach's subsequent behavior is a prime example of leadership and empathy.

The Guardian newspaper in England called Hjulmand a "rallying point" —in German, that's the place at folk festivals or amusement parks, for example, where people meet when someone is lost. If you don't know where to go, Hjulmand is there. And he also catered to the public, keeping them away from the players—the media received information and didn't have to gather it themselves. Hjulmand also organized psychological support with the association.

What the then national coach of Denmark also did was to sharply criticize UEFA, thereby further increasing the protective shield for his team. Hjulmand criticized the fact that the match against Finland was allowed to continue, and later even said that Denmark had been put under pressure.

The European Championship will always be remembered in Denmark, not only for the tragic Eriksen incident, but also for what followed. The Danes reached the semifinals, only losing to England in extra time. Danish UEFA correspondent Sture Sandö published a pre-match report on the association's website with the headline: "How Kasper Hjulmand united a nation."

In it, the journalist reports how, before taking over as national coach, Hjulmand contacted "musicians, business executives, royal masters of ceremonies, and former Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt" to "deepen his understanding of Denmark's national identity." Tactically, Hjulmand is considered an "innovative and courageous coach," but his greatest strength is that his coaching extends beyond the football field.

To absorb the Bayer DNA, he'll probably need only select advisors. "For several years, his assistant coach with the Danish national team, Ismael Camenforte, also worked for us. Kasper even personally recommended Ismael to us at the time. His training method is therefore well known at our club, and Kasper also knows our club very well from the past few years," explained sporting director Simon Rolfes.

And managing director Fernando Carro emphasized the obvious point about Hjulmand, which, according to Bayer officials, makes him the perfect coach for a turnaround after ten Hag. "In addition to his strong technical credentials as a coach, Kasper Hjulmand's team leadership principles also convinced us," said the 61-year-old.

Carro continued: "A newly assembled and developing team like ours needs clear guidelines and will benefit from Kasper's transparent, communicative, and empathetic style." Leverkusen relies on Hjulmand as a person. This has brought him fame and glory in Denmark – now, at his second attempt, in Germany as well?

• football
• Bundesliga
• Bayer Leverkusen