Daniel Farke believes referee Peter Bankes over-reacted, choosing to 'embarass' the Leeds United boss instead
Isaac Johnson Leeds United reporter
15:44, 02 Mar 2026
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Daniel Farke
Daniel Farke is adamant that he should not have been sent off following Leeds United’s defeat to Manchester City on Saturday and believes the decision should be overturned.
Farke was dismissed after approaching referee Peter Bankes after full time, unhappy that added time had not been extended despite Man City’s time-wasting.
Leeds could appeal the decision but regardless, it seems likely that he will be in the dugout for Tuesday’s clash with Sunderland with the Football Association yet to contact the club as of 2pm on Monday.
That would mean his one-game suspension would carry over to Sunday’s FA Cup clash against former club Norwich City if upheld.
Farke said that, during extra time, the fourth official had insisted that time would be added on, with City delaying the restart three times and Rayan Ait-Nouri acquiring a booking in the process. So when Bankes blew up a few seconds after the six minutes had elapsed, Farke was left aggrieved.
He is adamant that his red card was unjust. Speaking on Monday, the Leeds boss said: “I'm a very self-critical person. When I do a mistake I always hold my hand up and say I have to apologise. Because in my job, I also have to be a role model.
“But really, in this case, I think it shouldn’t be a red card. It's really my honest belief.”
Farke added: “Look, there will always be disagreements about situations in the game. During the game, there were several decisions. I was obviously not happy with this, especially with the six minutes at a time.
“I just wanted a short, quiet moment with the referee to ask him the only thing I wanted to ask. I was running over because I wanted to ask him why he didn't add a few seconds, at least 30 seconds or one minute if he gives a yellow card for time wasting.
“There was not one bad word [from me]. I didn't abuse them at all. I didn't swear at them at all. I didn't use one word of bad language. There were no flying arms.
"I was just jogging over and wanted to ask him ‘what do you give the yellow card over there, if you don't add any seconds', and I don't even finish, for what?
“Because as soon as I arrived, he had the red card in his hand. Sorry, he didn't speak to me, didn't even watch me, and just shows me a red card.
“In this manner, more like to embarrass me, to show a red card, to show the whole world ‘Listen, this guy is not worth talking to, this guy is not even worth to look at him’.
“You can also see it on the footage his assistant…they were even there with sympathy, and they were also shocked that the red card was shown and tried to speak to me, more or less.”
Farke added:“I think this is not how we should work with each other and listen, I have no problems at all. I have so much respect for all the referees. Otherwise I would never be in this business for nearly 20 years without showing a red card anyhow.
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“I learned my lesson. I will never ever jog again on the pitch. I think he just misinterpreted something like this. But for me, it should never be a red card.”