Jens Berthel Askou hailed his time with Motherwell as ‘an amazing journey’ after leaving the club to become the new head coach of Toulouse.
The Dane took charge at Fir Park last summer and his sole season in charge was a memorable one, leading the club to a fourth-place finish in the Premiership and a return to European football for the first time since 2022.
The Steelmen earned plaudits for their dynamic style of play under Askou, which attracted the interest of a host of clubs, with Celtic thought to be among his admirers. But Toulouse have won the race for the 43-year-old’s signature after agreeing a compensation fee with Motherwell.
‘Grateful is the best word to describe how I feel about my time as a manager of Motherwell FC,’ Askou told the club’s website.
Jens Berthel Askou has left Motherwell to join Toulouse after an impressive season at Fir Park
‘This past year has been an amazing journey. The buy-in and support from players, staff, board members, volunteers and supporters have been invaluable for me to lead the development of the club. There have been so many special moments along the way, but the way the season ended with a hard-fought win at Easter Road, leaving the club in a position of chasing European football next season, couldn’t have been written better.
‘Special opportunities come rare in football. And you don’t know when they present themselves. So sometimes you have to leave great things behind to create new ones no matter how hard it is.’
Well chairman Kyrk Macmillan paid tribute to Askou, adding: ‘When we brought Jens to Motherwell, there was an understanding that if there was success, the club wouldn’t stand in the way of Jens progressing to his next club if it was the correct opportunity at the right time.
‘Toulouse is a club playing in one of the top-five divisions in Europe, and it is an excellent opportunity for him. I hope this move brings him more success. Thank you, Jens.’
Askou will replace departing boss Carles Martinez Novell at the end of the season, with Toulouse sitting midtable in Ligue 1 with one game left to play.
