Leeds Chairman in Talks with Manager Daniel Farke Over Future
===========================================================
Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe is set to hold talks with manager Daniel Farke over his future at the club, amid reports that some members of the 49ers Enterprises consortium have expressed doubts about his suitability to manage in the Premier League.
Marathe will attend Monday night’s Championship game against Bristol City at Elland Road, before meeting with Farke later in the week. The American chairman will have the final say on Farke’s future, and is understood to be keen to hear how the German manager plans to approach a season in the top flight.
According to The Guardian, Farke’s position is uncertain despite leading Leeds to promotion this season and earning 90 points in the previous campaign. The 49ers Enterprises consortium, which owns Leeds, has ambitious plans to turn the club into a top-10 Premier League side, and to expand Elland Road’s capacity to 56,500.
Farke has two years remaining on his contract, but would be entitled to a year’s salary in compensation if he were to be dismissed. The Guardian reports that initial soundings have been made towards potential replacements, including former Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Roger Schmidt, and Davide Ancelotti.
Leeds’s managerial plans are complicated by financial restrictions, which have left the club with limited profitability and sustainability headroom. The club has posted combined losses of £94.5m over the past two seasons, and their permitted loss for the next three-year reporting cycle will be £61m.
Marathe has previously expressed his support for Farke, saying that he was recruited with a view to managing the club in the Premier League. “I don’t think he had a fair stack of cards when he was in the Premier League,” he said. “We’re going to give him the deck of cards. I think he could be a very successful coach across Europe. This isn’t just: ‘Hey get us through the Championship.’”
Farke’s predecessor, as Louise Taylor writes for The Guardian, faced significant challenges in keeping Leeds in the top flight. Farke will need to navigate these challenges, as well as the owners’ determination to take charge of player recruitment through a data-led approach, which may not be to every manager’s taste.
The Leeds chairman is due to stay in Leeds all week, and will attend the club’s final game of the season at Plymouth on Saturday. It remains to be seen what the outcome of the talks between Marathe and Farke will be, but one thing is certain: the future of Leeds United will be shaped by the decisions made in the coming days.
As The Guardian reports, Leeds’s plans for an expanded Elland Road, with a 56,500 capacity, are just one part of the club’s ambitious plans for growth. With promotion secured, the real challenge for Farke and his team now begins.
In related news, The Guardian’s Louise Taylor writes that Leeds are back among the elite, but the real task for Farke is to keep them there. As the club prepares for life in the Premier League, all eyes will be on Farke and his team to see if they can sustain their success.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/apr/28/leeds-chairman-flying-for-talks-with-daniel-farke-over-managers-future-paraag-marathe
Source link
