Hjulmand relies on mutual trust: "Leadership is not a one-man show"
Kasper Hjulmand's debut at Bayer 04 Leverkusen was a success. The coach expressed his satisfaction with his team after the 3-1 win against Frankfurt. He also explained his leadership style, which is based on flat hierarchies and emphasizes trust.
Kasper Hjulmand celebrated scoring three goals in his debut as Leverkusen coach. IMAGO/Nordphoto
Bayer Leverkusen has hardly experienced more turmoil than in recent weeks: First, the massive upheaval during the summer break, then the weak start to the season, and the dismissal of Erik ten Hag after just two matchdays. After the Xabi Alonso era, during which everything ran pretty smoothly for most of the season, these wild weeks were a real test for the Werkself. In response to all the excitement, Simon Rolfes and his team installed Kasper Hjulmand , a coach who, in terms of outward appearance, is practically ten Hag's opposite – warm, open, and always with a disarming smile on his face.
And this charismatic Dane managed to ignite the Leverkusen players so much that they didn't give Eintracht Frankfurt a chance in the first half of their 3-1 win on Matchday 3. Led by an outstanding Nathan Tella, the Bayer players repeatedly got in the way of the visitors, won the ball with strong pressing, and countered Frankfurt time and again. The fact that Leverkusen were only 2-0 up at halftime was flattering for SGE.
Few chances for SGE: Hjulmand praises the compactnessThings heated up again in the second half, partly because Leverkusen were decimated by two yellow and red cards, but overall, the Werkself's victory was absolutely deserved. The new coach shared his opinion on the Sky video after the match: "We were very compact in our deep defense. We didn't allow anything. But especially in the first half, we repeatedly created chances through high pressing. The pressing was very strong."
Hjulmand didn't want to "overly criticize" the fact that the game threatened to turn around again due to captain Robert Andrich's yellow-red card. He added that it was "absolutely out of the question" for him to discuss the possibility of a yellow-red card with Andrich during the break. The international is too experienced for that. And the sending off doesn't change how the new coach intends to fill the captaincy—namely, with several players.
At Leverkusen, the captaincy becomes a team task"I believe leadership isn't a one-man show. Just like me: I'm just part of a group. For me, leadership is about several players. The team council consists of captains and vice-captains, and together they create a strong community. They help young players. They help each other," said Hjulmand. Andrich will sometimes wear the captain's armband, but in other games, perhaps Alejandro Grimaldo , whose performance the coach described as "world-class" not only because of his two free-kick goals, or another leading player. "For me, leadership is a team sport."
I trust the people a lot. I believe in the players. They're fantastic players, but also good people.
And not only does Hjulmand place the role of captain within a flat hierarchy; he himself, as head coach, relies entirely on authority through mutual trust: "I'm too old to run around thinking about what other people think. I trust people a lot. I believe in the players. I think they're fantastic players, but also good people." His goal is to build trust. And: "I say what I mean. I'm very direct and honest. Hopefully, we can form a strong unit. We've already shown a lot of that today."
Hjulmand is looking forward to Copenhagen: "This is special for me"A new wind is blowing in Leverkusen. Whether Hjulmand's trust-based approach will be successful in the long run remains to be seen. But in his debut, the new coach has already managed to make the team look like a different team. And it's only a few days until the Dane's next highlight awaits: On Thursday (6:45 p.m.), Bayer Leverkusen will compete in the Champions League in Denmark's capital, Copenhagen: "This is special for me, but once the game is on, it's all about football."
