LEVERKUSEN, Germany -- Bayer Leverkusen and coach Roger Schmidt have agreed a contract extension by three years through June 2019.
The 48-year-old Schmidt, who took over this season after guiding Salzburg to the Austrian title the season before, has steered Leverkusen to fourth place in the Bundesliga for a Champions League playoff.
Leverkusen managing director Michael Schade says, ''Schmidt more than fulfilled our sporting hopes and expectations already in the first year. Our team's offensive attractive style bears his signature.''
Schmidt quickly turned Leverkusen into a combative well-organized side, closing down space and pressurizing opposing teams before hitting with counterattacks.
Schmidt says: ''In the course of this first year it quickly became clear to me that Bayer Leverkusen is a club at which I can and want to work for a longer period.''
