Bild reported that Hjulmand's departure is now confirmed regardless of what happens on the final matchday, when Leverkusen host Hamburg. Even a result that somehow kept the mathematical possibility of Champions League qualification alive would not save his position. The club's decision is final.
VfB Stuttgart's Ermedin Demirović was the decisive figure at the MHPArena. The Bosnian striker equalised in the fifth minute after Aleix García had put Leverkusen ahead after just 43 seconds, won the penalty that led to Stuttgart's second goal, and was voted man of the match after registering six shots in the first half and winning 16 challenges across the entire game. Stuttgart held on comfortably in the second half and Leverkusen managed only four shots on target across 90 minutes.
The defeat was a result of season-defining patterns. Leverkusen have suffered recurring heavy defeats against direct rivals while managing to beat weaker opponents — a record that satisfied nobody inside the club.
Hjulmand took charge at the BayArena in September, replacing Erik ten Hag who had succeeded Xabi Alonso at the start of the season. Both appointments followed the departure of Alonso, whose 2023/24 near-treble remains one of the most celebrated seasons in Bundesliga history, and neither man has come close to building on it.
The 54-year-old Dane had previously led Denmark to the semi-finals of Euro 2020 and resigned after their exit from Euro 2024. His brief Bundesliga experience at Mainz in the 2014/15 season ended in dismissal after one win in 13 matches. At Leverkusen his overall record has been better in the second half of the season, but it has not been enough.
Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler, 32, has been identified as the primary candidate to take charge this summer. The German-American manager led Brighton to successive top-eight Premier League finishes and has attracted significant interest from clubs across Europe.
Leverkusen's summer will be shaped by whether they finish fifth or lower and lose Champions League football — a circumstance that would complicate recruitment and make the appointment of an ambitious replacement manager considerably more difficult.