marco rose is part of the wider coaching debate around Bayer Leverkusen as the club’s search intensifies and the signs of a split with Kasper Hjulmand grow stronger. The German club is now examining candidates closely after a difficult stretch that already saw Erik ten Hag depart after only two months. The next appointment matters because the benchmark set by Xabi Alonso remains high.
Leverkusen weighs the next move
Leverkusen is actively working through its coach shortlist, with club bosses Simon Rolfes and Fernando Carro involved in the decision. The focus has sharpened because Hjulmand, who arrived in September, has not lifted the team to the level the club expects.
Three names are currently viewed as realistic options, and all three come from the Premier League: Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth, Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace, and Fabian Hürzeler of Brighton. The club is studying each profile closely and comparing them against the demands of Leverkusen’s playing identity.
That identity is described internally as offensive and built on control of the game. The challenge is not just finding a coach with results, but one whose methods fit the structure and expectations that grew under Alonso.
marco rose and the coach race
marco rose sits inside the wider discussion because the club is being linked with multiple coach solutions as it searches for stability. Even so, the current focus in the available information remains on Iraola, Glasner, and Hürzeler.
Iraola has been examined closely because he shares a Basque background with Alonso and has the same agent. Leverkusen has followed him for some time, including from his period at Rayo Vallecano, but its internal assessment has not clearly matched him to the club’s preferred style. He is seen as pragmatic and is currently delivering strong results, while also having said he will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season.
Hürzeler is viewed as a developer and a consensus candidate inside the club. He took St. Pauli from 2. Bundesliga relegation zone concerns to promotion in 17 months, then moved to Brighton and is now aiming for the next step: the Champions League. His release clause is understood to be below 15 million euros.
Why Glasner remains in the frame
Glasner brings a different record. He led Eintracht Frankfurt to the Europa League title in 2022 and Crystal Palace to the FA Cup in 2025, the club’s first trophy. The pattern around him is clear: he tends to get the maximum from his squads, but his stays are usually limited to about two years.
He has already announced that he will leave Crystal Palace this summer. At the same time, he is said to want to remain in the Premier League, which could complicate any move to Germany.
What happens next
The decision now sits with Leverkusen’s leadership, who must choose a coach capable of meeting a very high standard without repeating the uncertainty of this season. The club is still in evaluation mode, and no final call has been stated in the available information. For now, the search for the right successor continues with marco rose and the other names remaining part of a wider, high-pressure conversation.
