Barça, Qatar, Kuwait, Toulouse: Why Bayer Leverkusen's new head coach evokes memories of Xabi Alonso, despite his unconventional journey (original) (raw)
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Bayer has appointed Carles Martinez as its new head coach, presenting him as its "Plan B". Given the similarities with Xabi Alonso, the stakes are high; nevertheless, the Spaniard brings qualities that will suit the Werkself very well.
Comparisons with Xabi Alonso were inevitable as soon as Carles Martinez arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen. The surface similarities are striking: both are Spaniards, and both began their senior coaching journeys at the two giants of La Liga.
Both men are Spanish, and each began coaching in the youth set-ups of the country's two giants: Alonso at Real Madrid, and Martinez—after a premature end to his playing career—at La Masia, Barcelona's famed academy, following a stint at Espanyol.
- Both managers arrived at Leverkusen with limited success to their names. Although Alonso was touted for the Real Madrid hot seat at a relatively young age—a job he would later take, albeit with limited success—his early coaching path was rocky. After being passed over for promotion to the Blancos' first team, he moved to Real Sociedad, where he took charge only of the reserves.
Martínez, meanwhile, left Barça in 2019 after structural changes prompted his departure. From 2019 to 2022 he gained international experience with Al-Rayyan SC's U19s and as Kuwait's U20 coach. In 2023 he finally became a club head coach, spending six months as assistant and head of methodology at FC Toulouse, helping the side win the national cup before taking the top job the following summer.
In his first full campaign he guided the club to its best finish in a decade, and by the 2025/26 season Toulouse had climbed to ninth. Yet the 42-year-old remained something of a cult figure, little known beyond French football circles. That relative obscurity explains why he is seen as Bayer Leverkusen's second choice, brought in after the club's first target, Andoni Iraola, opted to join Liverpool instead. .jpeg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
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Carles Martinez is the polar opposite of Kasper Hjulmand.
A close look at Martinez's career reveals numerous qualities that make him an ideal fit for Bayer Leverkusen's managerial role. Unlike last season's Bayer Leverkusen side, which under Kasper Hjulmand often lacked a clear game plan and delivered top-class performances only sporadically, B04 fans can now expect the clear, precise and direct attacking football they enjoyed under Alonso.
The 42-year-old favours modern, possession-based football, with controlled build-up play, intelligent use of space and targeted bursts of speed. He also stresses flexible adaptation to opponents and disciplined collective defending. He is also familiar with the back-three setup installed by Alonso, having used it at Toulouse.
His touchline presence is another asset. Unlike the reserved Hjulmand, Martinez is an animated metronome, using sharp gestures and constant commands to guide his side. His open demeanour shines through when nurturing young talent: at Barça he helped launch the careers of Gavi, Fermin Lopez, Xavi Simons and Ansu Fati.
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Carles Martinez? "My wife says it's the only thing I'm really good at."
All things considered, the Spaniard is—in the best possible sense—a football fanatic. His meticulous approach to the game has led many back home to compare him with coaching legend Pep Guardiola. Spanish newspaper _Sport once told a revealing anecdote about the 42-year-old: as manager of Barcelona's Under-14s, he kept his bride Maria waiting at their wedding so he and a few guests could squeeze in a game of football before the reception. The marriage went ahead smoothly, despite his obsession with the beautiful game. My wife says it's the only thing I'm really good at—and she's right," Martinez once remarked.
"It was a slightly surprising choice at first," admitted B04 sporting director Simon Rolfes when the 42-year-old was presented last Friday. Yet, as Rolfes explained, "If you look at Carles' CV and Bayer 04, you see the similarities. He has that passion, drive and ambition, plus the courage to field young players. In France he managed a very international squad, just like we have here."
In any case, the "Bayer DNA" aligns with the Spanish style of play, Rolfes emphasised, looking ahead to the next Spaniard on the Leverkusen bench. "When I became sporting director in 2018, it made perfect sense to look towards Spain," Rolfes added. The success of Spanish club football over the past two decades "definitely" proves the point.
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Is Xabi Alonso a role model? "I'm sure he'll have a word with me."
Bayer Leverkusen now presents Martinez with the biggest challenge of his career to date. Another Spaniard has already shown the Werkself how an idea can be turned into a success story.
"I'll give Xabi a call, and I'm sure he'll speak to me. I know him and I know he's a good bloke who wants only the best for Leverkusen," explained Martinez. His compatriot had shown "how it can work as a Spanish manager". "What he achieved here was fantastic," said the 42-year-old, who now aims to guide B04 back to the summit of the Bundesliga. "It's a great club. To succeed, you have to put in a lot of work. That's the most important thing. Then we'll get the most out of it."
Martinez clearly possesses the necessary qualities, yet the expectations mean the stakes should not be underestimated.