Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has been speaking to the media before Sunday’s FA Cup fifth round game against Noriwch City at Elland Road (16:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Advertisement
Farke confirmed striker Noah Okafor is “not in team training yet and will not be available for this game” while he said “all the others seem all right and if nothing happens over the next few days, I should have a full squad available”.
Farke was asked about receiving a one-match suspension following his red card after full-time in last weekend’s defeat by Manchester City: “I think the message I will take is that I will never jog on the pitch again because I was accused of entering the pitch and confronting the referee. I did my jogging and I won’t again because I probably look a bit scary when I jog. I still think it wasn’t the right decision to show me a red card because, even if I jogged, it isn’t right to be given a red card anyway.”
More on the red card and decision not to appeal it: “There was not one bad word, no accusation or no bad language or whatever. I think the red card shouldn’t stand, however I haven’t appealed the one-match ban for one simple reason: because if I appeal and the panel comes together for two weeks, we speak again about this topic and then the decision is made. I don’t think it makes sense to talk more about this topic and that’s why I’ve simply accepted the ban.”
Farke was asked about switching attention from the Premier League relegation battle to the FA Cup: “We have at least a chance to go into the quarter-finals, which has been a while for this club. Then if you win that, you’re just one game away. We know it is the cup with the most tradition in Europe and it is very special.”
However, he was frank about where Leeds’ primary focus is: “Of course, survival in the Premier League is always the priority. For a newly promoted side, it has to be this way. But if you have the chance to progress you want to, so long as it’s without risking any players or doing anything stupid.”
On facing his former side: “Norwich gave me my first opportunity in the UK, this club will always have a special place in my heart. But my focus is with my team, my club, my supporters. It is a disappointment I cannot be on the bench but I have confidence in my staff they can be successful. Big compliment to what Norwich have done in recent weeks, I was hoping they would do better when they were suffering. Right now they are in a situation where they can concentrate on the FA Cup and play their strongest line-up.”
Follow all of Friday’s FA Cup news conferences and the rest of the day’s football news
Listen to live commentary of Leeds v Norwich on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds
[BBC]
