Leverkusen firm ties with Lewandowski and Hyypiä

Sascha Lewandowski has been rewarded after overseeing Bayer 04 Leverkusen's fine end to the campaign after he and team manager Sami Hyypiä were given three-year deal.

Lewandowski, 40, took the reins on an interim basis with six matches remaining, assisted by Hyypiä, following the dismissal of Robin Dutt. A return of 14 points out of a possible 18 lifted Leverkusen to fifth and a UEFA Europa League spot, enough to convince the club to appoint both on permanent contracts.

"Sascha Lewandowski has already made a name for himself as an ambitious, forward-thinking coach at youth level," said Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Völler. "Sami Hyypiä played at the highest level of European football for ten years and he made a big impression in his last two years [playing] at Leverkusen. It looks like he was born to manage and I'm sure he'll work well with Sascha and make progress with Bayer 04."

The 38-year-old Hyypiä added: "Although [Lewandowski and I] didn't know each other before and we didn't have much time to put a plan together, the last few weeks have been a real success. Bayer 04's decision to give us the chance to carry on is a great mark of belief. We're convinced we can work with this team and our support staff to keep performing well in domestic and European competitions."