Bayer Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt has signed a new contract that ties him to the club until 2019.
Schmidt, 48, joined Leverkusen from FC Salzburg on a two-year deal last summer and has secured fourth place in the Bundesliga in his debut season at the BayArena, which will see the club take part in August's Champions League playoff.
Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller said on the club's official website: "Our coach has implemented the concept he convinced us with last year very quickly and very consistently. He held onto his ideas even in critical situations during the season, fully trusting his system and also the team. You can see the quality of a coach most clearly in difficult times."
Weitere Stimmen zur Vertragsverlängerung von Roger #Schmidt: http://t.co/wUiL54nS8x #StärkeBayer pic.twitter.com/9UuuFuejDV
- Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04fussball) May 21, 2015
Leverkusen CEO Michael Schade said Schmidt had exceeded all expectations.
"The attractive, attacking style of our team carries his handwriting," he said. "Bayer Leverkusen now stands for a style that receives recognition both domestically and internationally."
Schmidt, who began his coaching career at minor league club Delbrucker SC in 2004, said that he soon realised he wanted to stay at the club for longer than just two years.
"We are just at the beginning of an evolution," he said. "We have a young squad with a lot of potential and a great team spirit."
Leverkusen, who sit 13 points clear of fifth-placed Schalke going into the Bundesliga's final weekend, will be among the seeded teams for the draw of the Champions League playoffs in August.