Sad Report;The final report from Daniel Farke Leeds United’s Daniel James is departing today; read on for more information…….
Welsh international trio Joe Rodon, Ethan Ampadu and Daniel James will take on Glen Kamara’s Finland as both nations aim to qualify for next summer’s European Championships in Germany via the Nations League route.
The match will be played at the Cardiff City Stadium on March 21, where Wales drew 1-1 with Turkey earlier this week, putting paid to their hopes of qualifying automatically for the tournament as Croatia clinched Group D’s second place.
If head coach Rob Page and his side win their single-leg tie with the Scandinavian nation, they would then play host to Poland or Estonia on March 26, also at the home of Leeds’ Championship rivals Cardiff City, vying for a spot at Euro 2024.
Estonia’s Euro qualifying record this time around comprised of one draw and seven defeats across eight matches, therefore it is highly likely the winner of Wales’ clash with Finland will need to beat Poland for a place at the Euros.
Finland finished third in Group H, narrowly missing out on automatic qualification after six wins and four draws, while Wales – also third in their pool – managed three wins, three draws and two
A two time winner of the Sky Bet Championship whilst in charge of Norwich City, Farke has agreed a four-year deal at Elland Road.
The 46-year-old German succeeds Sam Allardyce who left the Whites at the end of last season.
Enjoying a career as a player in the German lower leagues, predominantly with SV Lippstadt, he went on to manage the club, before taking the reins at Borussia Dortmund II.
This led to him being named Norwich City boss in the summer of 2017 and he enjoyed great success at Carrow Road.
In the 2018/19 campaign he guided Norwich to the Sky Bet Championship title, finishing five points above Sheffield United in second and 11 ahead of Leeds in third, taking the club back to the top-flight for the first time in three years.
Farke was unable to keep the Canaries in the Premier League, but on their return to the second-tier, he once more guided the Norfolk side to the Championship title, with Norwich picking up 97 points, three more than their success two years prior.
After 208 games and a four-and-a-half year spell at Carrow Road, he departed the club in November 2021.
In January 2022, Farke joined FC Krasnodar, but following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, left the club three months later, without managing a game, due to the winter break.
At the start of last season, Farke took charge of Borussia Monchengladbach and he led them to a 10th place finish in Bundesliga, before departing at the end of the campaign.
He now joins Leeds United, looking to guide the Whites back to the Premier League.
The newly appointed manager stated: “I’d like to thank everyone for the really warm welcome, I’m really grateful at this moment, to work for this amazing club.
“I feel humble at this time, I know the responsibility to fulfil all the expectations and I want to repay the trust shown.
“The most important thing is to create a togetherness and unity within this club again and from today onwards, I will work on it with my staff and players, and I trust our supporters will be there when we need them. I can’t wait for the first game of the season.”
Speaking on the announcement, Paraag Marathe said: “After a thorough recruitment process, we are excited to confirm Daniel’s appointment as our first team manager.
“His record in the Championship is clear, and I am impressed by his leadership and plan to guide us back to the Premier League.
“We welcome Daniel and his staff to the club and look forward to a strong season.”
Farke will be assisted by Eddie Riemer, with Christopher John and Chris Domogalla also joining the coaching team at Elland Road, having previously worked together at Norwich.
His first league match in charge of the club will be on Sunday 6th August, with Leeds taking on Cardiff City in the first game of the Sky Bet Championship campaign at Elland Road.
