All head coach changes in the 2025/26 Bundesliga season
On Sunday, Cologne announced the departure of head coach Lukas Kwasniok. It was the ninth head coach change of the current season in the Bundesliga - here's the full list...
Erik ten Hag (Leverkusen, after Matchday 2)
The Dutchman had big shoes to fill after the departure of title-winning coach Xabi Alonso last summer. But things didn't go smoothly for ten Hag at Bayer Leverkusen. The runners-up started with just one point from their matches against Hoffenheim and Werder Bremen.
After Matchday 2, Leverkusen chose to move in another direction and relieved ten Hag of his duties, with Kasper Hjulmand presented as the new coach a week later. Ten Hag is currently the technical director at Twente.
Gerardo Seoane (Borussia Mönchengladbach, after Matchday 3)
Seoane served as head coach of Borussia Mönchengladbach for two years, charge of Die Fohlen in the summer of 2023 and departing in September 2025. Gladbach had started the season with just one point from three games, and their 4-0 defeat against Werder Bremen marked their 10th consecutive match without a win.
This form led to the departure of Seoane, who achieved an average of only 1.22 points per game during his time in Mönchengladbach. The Swiss coach was succeeded by Eugen Polanski, initially as interim coach, and later as permanent head coach. Seoane is now back in Switzerland, coaching Young Boys in Bern.
Paul Simonis (Wolfsburg, after Matchday 10
Simonis was introduced as the new coach of the Wolves in the summer, arriving after leading Go Ahead Eagles to their first title in 92 years with a Dutch Cup victory. However, the season started poorly for Simonis and, after 10 matchdays, his side had only managed two wins and were also eliminated in the second round of the DFB Cup.
Simonis, therefore, was dismissed, and Daniel Bauer initially took over on an interim basis. Success did indeed return at first, as Wolfsburg collected seven points in the following four games. Shortly before Christmas, the decision was made to give Bauer the permanent head coach position, but things soon turned rocky...
Sandro Wagner (Augsburg, after Matchday 12)
The arrival of the former Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim striker was hailed as a transfer coup. However, Wagner and Augsburg simply was ultimately not a match made in heaven. With three wins in twelve games, the Bavarian club were in 14th place at the beginning of December, just two points above the relegation zone. They also suffered an early exit from the DFB Cup against Bochum.
On December 1, both parties agreed to part ways. At that point, Wagner had achieved an average of 0.93 points per game. An internal and familiar solution found in Manuel Baum, who had already served as head coach of Augsburg from 2016 to 2019, and the team has since moved away from danger.
Bo Henriksen (Mainz, after Matchday 12)
After their 4-1 victory against Augsburg, Mainz went eight league games without a win. This saw the 05ers slip to the bottom of the table by Matchday 12. As such, the club then parted ways with Bo Henriksen, who had previously led Mainz to European competition, had to leave.
Benjamin Hoffmann took over for the home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach, and a week after Henriksen's departure, Urs Fischer was presented as his successor. The Swiss coach calmly guided Mainz out of the relegation zone.
Dino Toppmöller (Frankfurt, after Matchday 18)
Toppmöller was in the Eintracht Frankfurt hotseat for two-and-a-half years, leading the Eagles to the UEFA Champions League, among other achievements. However, things didn't go according to plan for Frankfurt this season. Following their 4-3 victory against Cologne in November, they managed only one more win under Toppmöller. After a 3-3 draw against Bremen and their early exit from the Champions League, his tenure as head coach came to an end, with Frankfurt having conceded nine goals in three games.
Initially, the team was led by youth coaches Dennis Schmitt and Alex Meier. On 2 February, though, Spaniard Albert Riera took over the position, joining from Slovenian club NK Celje.
Horst Steffen (Bremen, after Matchday 20)
In the end, Bremen's management lacked the conviction that Horst Steffen could turn things around with the club. Following a 1-1 draw against Mönchengladbach on Matchday 20, the club opted to let their head coach go.
Steffen had joined Bremen from Elversberg last summer, but couldn't build up any steam as his new team went 10 games without a win. After the interim duo of former assistant coaches Raphael Duarte and Christian Groß stepped in, Daniel Thioune took over as the club's new head coach ahead of Matchday 21.
Daniel Bauer (Wolfsburg, after Matchday 21)
The initial upswing under Bauer, appointed as the permanent manager, proved unsustainable. Simonis' successor won only one of his first 10 matches after the New Year, suffering, among other defeats, an 8-1 thrashing in Munich. After just two points from eight winless games, Bauer's tenure ended following a 2-1 loss against Hamburg.
Their third head coach this season was club legend Dieter Hecking. The 2015 Bundesliga runner-up and cup winner took over at the beginning of March and secured a point in his first match against Champions League hopefuls Hoffenheim.
Lukas Kwasniok (Cologne, after Matchday 27)
The memorable 3-3 draw in the 100th Bundesliga Rhine derby offered just about everything – except, once again, three points for Cologne. That's precisely what the sporting management had demanded from Lukas Kwasniok and his team after just two wins in 17 previous matches. Because the three points eluded them once again, he was ushered out of the door.
Kwasniok had shown fighting spirit until the very end and rightly pointed to his team's consistently evident determination. Consequently, Cologne didn't throw everything out the window, but instead appointed Kwasniok's former assistant, René Wagner, as interim coach. The 37-year-old is tasked with leading the relegation-threatened side to safety.
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