Leeds manager Daniel Farke was frustrated with an unusual situation at the London Stadium on Sunday.
West Ham’s FA Cup quarter-final against Leeds finished 2-2 after extra time and went to penalties.
The Hammers lost the shootout after Jarrod Bowen and Pablo missed from the spot, but Farke was still annoyed
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Daniel Farke questions West Ham’s safety situation before penalty shootout
West Ham’s safety officer reportedly insisted that the penalty shootout must take place in front of the home supporters.
Even though the away fans are a long way behind the goal, they raised safety concerns about shooting at Leeds’ end.
The decision was then reversed, and referee Craig Pawson flipped a coin to decide which end would host the shootout.
West Ham won the coin toss, so the safety officer’s original decision would have made no difference to the outcome.
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However, Farke has not forgotten about the bizarre situation, which could have given the Hammers an unfair advantage.
“If I’m not completely wrong, a safety officer signed a document that, for safety reasons, we couldn’t take the penalty shootout in front of our supporters,” he said in his post-match press conference.
"You can imagine what I think about such a situation" 😤
Daniel Farke reacts to reports that the penalty shootout between Leeds and West Ham couldn't take place in front of the Leeds fans as a safety office refused to sign it off 😯 pic.twitter.com/tFYevCBblf
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) April 5, 2026
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“It had to be in front of the West Ham supporters. You can imagine what I think about such a situation. We played in the Olympic Stadium, where the stands are further away from the pitch than any other stadium.
“If a safety officer signed such a document because they wanted to have the penalty shootout in front of their supporters, you can think about what I think about such a situation.”
Farke was clearly unhappy about the penalty shootout mix-up, but unfortunately, Leeds had the last laugh at the London Stadium.
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