Bayer Leverkusen appoint Korkut as interim head coach
Bayer Leverkusen have appointed Tayfun Korkut as interim coach until the end of the season, the club announced on Monday.
After parting company with Roger Schmidt on Sunday, Leverkusen confirmed the arrival of former Hannover 96 and 1. FC Kaiserslautern boss Korkut on a short-term deal less than 24 hours later.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge enormously and want to get to know the team as soon as possible," said Korkut, who arrives with Die Werkself in tenth place, 11 points off the top four.
"We want to finish the season as befitting Leverkusen and qualify for Europe again. We'll put everything into doing that."
After coaching junior teams in Spain and Germany as well as a brief stint as Turkey's assistant coach, Korkut's first major role in the dug-out came when he took over from Mirko Slomka at Hannover in December 2013.
Coincidentally, he lost his job with the 96ers following a 13-game winless run, the final match of which was a 4-0 defeat to Leverkusen in April 2015.
Korkut, 42, returned to football when he took over as head coach at 1. FC Kaiserslautern last summer, but resigned on 27 December.
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"In Tayfun Korkut, we have brought in a coach with great know-how, who is superbly connected, and has garnered a lot of experience as both a player and coach at international level," Leverkusen's Executive Director Michael Schade told media.
"We want to get through this difficult spell with him and end the season well."
Schmidt lost his job following Saturday's 6-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund, Leverkusen's fourth reverse in just six Bundesliga outings.
Schmidt had led the club into the UEFA Champions League in each of the last two seasons, finishing third last term.
A repeat of that looks all but impossible, but Leverkusen are hoping Korkut, who also has next week's Last 16 second leg with Atletico Madrid to prepare for, can at least push them up the table, starting with Friday's Matchday 24 encounter with SV Werder Bremen.
"I have known Tayfun since he was assistant coach with Turkey," said Leverkusen's sporting director and former Germany coach Rudi Völler. "We're convinced he can lift the players' spirits."