Following their televised FA Cup fifth-round clash against Chelsea on Wednesday, February 28, United find themselves thrust back into action less than 72 hours later in a high-stakes West Yorkshire derby against Huddersfield Town. The match is slated for the early Saturday lunch-time slot at 12:30 pm on March 2.
Leeds’s hectic schedule continues as they return home to face Stoke City on Tuesday, March 5, only to embark on another derby away trip, hastily rearranged to fit the demands of TV coverage.
Their visit to Sheffield Wednesday on Friday, March 8, has been rescheduled by a day to accommodate Sky Sports’ broadcast plans.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke weighed in on the matter, expressing his concerns: “It is a difficult topic. Normally I don’t complain and focus on what we can control. But sometimes, enough is enough.”
Farke highlighted the absurdity of the scheduling following the Chelsea fixture: “We kick off late at night on a Wednesday against Chelsea, so that means we are back in Leeds in the early hours of Thursday morning… and then the next game is on Saturday with the earliest possible kick-off.”
Despite the challenges, Farke acknowledged the club’s attractiveness to TV companies but stressed the importance of fair play: “It’s crazy, but it should also be in the sense of fair play.”
The relentless fixture congestion has left Farke and his team grappling with minimal recovery time between matches, prompting him to question the scheduling decisions: “And then you think ‘okay, come on’ and at least the next game is on the weekend on a Saturday and then move it to Sunday. What happens? They move it to Friday.”
