Carles Martínez Novell: Who is Bayer Leverkusen's new head coach with a background at Barcelona?
New Bayer Leverkusen head coach Carles Martínez Novell has a background at Barcelona's famed La Masia academy and years of experience in Ligue 1 at Toulouse. Find out all you need to know about the new man in the BayArena dugout for 2026/27...
Data correct as of 4 June 2026
Carles Martínez Novell
Age: 42 (Born 18 May 1982)
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Role: Head coach
Country: Spain
Key stats
Martínez took to coaching at a remarkably young age, beginning to guide youth teams at Granollers, near his Catalonian birthplace of Les Franqueses del Vallès, aged only 16. His talent took him to the Espanyol coaching ranks soon afterwards and then to Barcelona, where he oversaw several youth teams at the club's famed La Masia academy and helped to develop talents like Fermín López, Gavi and Xavi Simons.
After coaching jobs in Qatar and Kuwait, he became an assistant coach at Toulouse in 2022, and promptly helped the club to lift the French Cup the following spring, leading to his appointment as head coach of the Ligue 1 outfit. He guided the side from southwestern French to three successive mid-table finishes as they established themselves as a top-flight force and inspired them to a memorable 3-2 UEFA Europa League win over Liverpool in November 2023.
Smart data-driven recruitment and the promotion of several academy talents to the first team helped Toulouse to punch above their weight under Martínez.
Coaches a bit like: Ole Werner
While it would be tempting to presume Martínez's experience at La Masia makes him an advocate of Pep Guardiola-like possession-based football, Toulouse actually averaged one of the lowest possession rates in Ligue 1 last season (42.2%).
They were known for swift vertical attacking, which helped another young coach, Werner, to secure a return to UEFA Champions League qualification for RB Leipzig last season - something Leverkusen would be keen to emulate in 2026/27 following their sixth-placed finish.
Leverkusen fans might be pleased to note his attention to detail at Barcelona has earned him comparisons to Guardiola, however.
Did you know?
Anecdotes from Martínez’s personal life underline his obsession with football. According to a feature by Spanish publication Sport during his time as Barcelona’s U14 coach, his wife María was left watching on after their wedding ceremony as Carles joined guests for an impromptu football match.
What they're saying
"Carles Martínez has successfully developed numerous young players at Toulouse and moulded an international team into a strong unit. Carles is a coach with clear principles and a modern approach to the game." - Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes
"He is a coach who completely matches the style of play that we have been trying to put in place for several years. He is becoming increasingly noticed around Europe and has this ability to help our players improve." - Toulouse president Damien Comolli on Martínez's contract extension in 2024
