Former Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia will be the head coach next season when Bayer Leverkusen make their return to the UEFA Champions League after the club announced his former co-trainer Sascha Lewandowski will be in charge of the club's youth team.

The 39-year-old Hyypia, who made more than 300 Premier League appearances for Liverpool between 1999 and 2009 before finishing his career at Leverkusen, had been co-trainer at Bayer along with Lewandowski, 41, this season, but will take sole charge next term.

Leverkusen will finish third in the Bundesliga after this Saturday's final round of matches and Hyypia, who won 105 caps for Finland, will guide Bayer back into the Champions League next season after a year's hiatus.

"Sascha helped lift the team, along with Sami Hyypia, up to an even higher level and we have confidently asserted ourselves against strong competition," said Leverkusen's director of sport Rudi Voller.

"Even in his new role, Sascha's work will continue to have a direct influence on the future face of our Bundesliga team, which will be led by a strong training team under Sami Hyypia."

Source: FIFA.com