“Nothing to do with reality” – Farke says Leeds United fans are the best, but expectations wildly unrealistic

“Nothing to do with reality” – Farke says Leeds United fans are the best, but expectations wildly unrealistic

Daniel Farke has praised Leeds United’s supporters as the best in the Premier League, though he admits that the expectations at Elland Road can sometimes spiral out of control.

Speaking to Sky Deutschland, the Leeds manager discussed several topics, including the passion and demands of the club’s fanbase.

Farke, now 49, arrived at Elland Road in July 2023 when the Whites were still in the Championship. He guided them to the league title last season, securing automatic promotion back to the Premier League. Having now managed more than 100 games for the club, he is well-placed to speak about its unique environment.

Calling Leeds fans “the most emotional and extraordinary” and “the best in the entire league,” Farke urged people to witness a live match at Elland Road if they get the chance.

“It’s truly an event like no other,” he said. “The atmosphere can turn the stadium into a real fortress.”

However, he acknowledged that this passion comes at a price—extreme expectations.

“At this club, after every defeat, it feels like the world is ending,” Farke explained. “Even in the Championship, after an away draw, everything suddenly had to change—new manager, new players—and people believed we were heading for relegation to the fourth division. That’s just what comes with a club like this.”

Farke previously noted that sections of the fanbase expect Leeds to return to European football. When asked again about expectations at a traditional club, he hinted that some of those demands have little grounding in reality.

“The club has an incredible history—winning the English championship and competing in the European Cup,” he said. “But the reality is that in the last 25 years, we’ve only had three seasons in the Premier League. We’re not an established top-flight club at the moment.”

He added that, similar to historic German clubs, fans tend to believe that simply being in the Premier League means titles and European qualification should follow, “but that has nothing to do with reality. The key is finding the right balance, especially in this kind of environment.”

Leeds United currently sit 16th in the Premier League table, seven points behind fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.