Rewind four months, and after securing promotion, Daniel Farke’s future as Leeds United manager is under scrutiny. Despite winning the Championship title, Leeds considered replacing him.
Farke’s previous stint in the Premier League was a cause for concern among supporters. In his 49 Premier League games as Norwich manager, Farke managed just six wins. But he was not backed at Carrow Road.
Jose Mourinho was among the names linked with a move to Elland Road. But at the time, the Portuguese gaffer remained at Turkish side Fenerbahce. However, Mourinho has since left his post with Fenerbahce.
Richard Keys claims Mourinho turned Leeds down and that convinced Paraag Marathe to keep Farke in the Leeds dugout. But Mourinho was not the only manager linked with a move to Leeds in the summer.
Daniel Farke during Leeds' clash against Newcastle.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
Leeds considered three managers and even held talks with them
It was reported by The Guardian towards the end of April that Leeds had actually held preliminary talks with three managers, before choosing to keep Farke. One of those was Carlo Ancelotti’s son, Davide.
Ancelotti has worked as his father’s assistant at Bayern, Everton and Real Madrid and has since become Botafogo manager. Giovanni van Bronckhorst too, who is now on Arne Slot’s coaching staff at Liverpool.
Roger Schmidt sat in the dug out when in charge of Benfica.
Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images
The reports also said that Leeds held talks with former Benfica and PSV Eindhoven boss Roger Schmidt. He remains without a job but BILD say Gladbach could consider Schmidt with Gerardo Seoane ‘finished’.
Roger Schmidt’s career in numbers amid Gladbach links
More than 20 years into his managerial career, Schmidt has managed at some big European clubs. As aforementioned, PSV and Benfica as well as Salzburg and Leverkusen. He’s even managed in China.
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The 58-year-old has been out of a job since leaving Benfica at the end of August 2024. But this is a manager who has won the Portuguese and Austrian League titles as well as plenty of Cup titles, too.
Clubs Games managed W-D-L Win % Honours
Delbrucker SCMunsterPaderbornSalzburgLeverkusenBeijing GuoanPSVBenfica 804 476-159-169 59.2 Austrian titlePortuguese titleAustrian CupChinese CupDutch CupDutch winners’ CupPortuguese winners’ Cup
Schmidt has been linked with a plethora of different jobs in England, but nothing has materialised. Now it looks as if he is a contender for a return to German football, eight years after leaving Leverkusen in 2017.