Leverkusen appoint Skibbe

Bayer Leverkusen have appointed Michael Skibbe as the club’s new coach.

Skibbe replaces Klaus Augenthaler who was sacked by Leverkusen in mid-September.

Skibbe has signed a contract at the BayArena until 2007 and will be reunited with Rudi Voller under whom he worked for the German national team. Voller acts as Bayer’s Director of Football and he has been in temporary charge at the club since the departure of Augenthaler.

For the past five years, Skibbe has been working for the German Football Federation (DFB) and has held a variety of roles including assistant to Voller, youth co-ordinator and coach of the Under-18 side.

DFB acting president Theo Zwanziger commented: “We regret the fact that we are losing a proven football specialist in Michael Skibbe and wish him well in his new job with Bayer Leverkusen.

“In the name of the DFB president, I would like to thank Michael Skibbe for the good work he has done over the last five years with both the national team and the new generation.”