Leeds United may need to adjust to following the same procedures as Premier League teams next season, but they’re already doing something that even top-flight clubs don’t.
The team is making significant strides in their pursuit of Premier League promotion. Daniel Farke’s side has made their ambitions clear, with the Whites set to return to where they belong next season.
Don Goodman and many other pundits are backing Leeds to win the league, and with just 14 crucial matches remaining, the pressure is on for the Yorkshire club.
However, with their size and impressive performances comes an unfortunate drawback.
Leeds United won’t be pleased with the fixture announcement
At this point in the season, the fixture schedule becomes incredibly congested, with much football still to be played. It’s far from ideal when the EFL makes controversial decisions, such as appointing Sheffield United fan Craig Pawson as the referee for Leeds’ tight title chase.
In an added blow, the EFL has confirmed that Leeds won’t have a 3 pm kickoff until March 29th, as their game against QPR has been moved to 12:30 pm, causing uproar among fans.
This means Leeds’ next six matches will all be at non-standard times.
As they prepare for a busy TV schedule with no regular kickoff times, Leeds will now find themselves doing something that not even Premier League clubs do.
Leeds forced to do what Champions League clubs are banned from
In an extraordinary development, Leeds are now defying what Premier League clubs agreed to in 2021.
The Independent reported that a meeting of Premier League clubs in 2021 resulted in an agreement that Champions League teams playing on Wednesday would not play on Saturday lunchtime in the same week.
This rule has since been implemented for all relevant clubs, but it doesn’t apply to Leeds.
Leeds are set to face Millwall on Wednesday, March 12th, and will then play QPR on Saturday lunchtime of the same week.
Following Leeds’ impressive 4-0 win over Watford, Farke will be hoping to build momentum. However, with this scheduling change in place, expect to see key players getting more rest days than usual.
Farke will be far from pleased with this situation, highlighting the discrepancy between how the rules are applied to others and Leeds.
EFL announcement forces Leeds United to do something that’s prohibited in the Premier League
