Leeds United face Huddersfield Town in the Championship on Saturday, and Daniel Farke and Andre Breitenreiter are extremely familiar with one another.
Daniel Farke‘s post-match dream sequences have always included coffee, cake, and the sofa, but he has yet to make time to share them with his good friend Andre Breitenreiter. The Leeds United manager’s compatriot will be in the opposing dugout on Saturday, when the Whites make their shortest trip of the season to West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town.
Breitenreiter, 50, and Farke, 47, are long-time managers in their native Germany. They clashed twice last year as head coaches of Hoffenheim and Borussia Monchengladbach, respectively, before the former was fired in February.
Farke’s Gladbach finished two places and seven points ahead of Hoffenheim last season, winning both matches 4-1 and 3-1. Huddersfield‘s new manager will undoubtedly seek vengeance, but given the current Championship standings, he faces a difficult task.
“We know each other very well,” Farke explained. “It’s a fantastic signing for Huddersfield because he’s a really experienced and very good coach, who has experience with different types of clubs and was also in Switzerland.”
The Terriers’ new manager, who has supervised a home loss and an away win in his first two games, is well-versed in two of United’s attacking options. Breitenreiter was in charge when Victor Orta rushed to sign Wilfried Gnonto from FC Zurich and Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim.
“He worked together with Gnonto, by the way, also in Switzerland,” Farke remarked. “He worked with Rutter at Hoffenheim. So I know him fairly well; he’s a great man and, more importantly, an excellent coach.
“It does not make our mission easier tomorrow because they will exploit this new energy, positivism, and, most importantly, confidence gained from the previous victory. “I expect a difficult game.”
Based on the most recent injury news and minutes distributed on Wednesday night, Gnonto and Rutter appear to be good chances for starting at John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday. Breitenreiter will do everything he can with his understanding of them to neutralise the threat, but many teams have failed to contain Leeds this season.
The two bosses are also well familiar with one another’s tactics. Farke expects the noon derby to be intense and pressurised. When opponents have gone forward and attempted to attack Leeds, gaps have been exploited by a team that is deadly in transition.
“We both know how to set up teams,” Farke explained. “So I know he likes to play with a lot of passion, and he also likes to press hard, so we both know each other well.
“Although, it’s the first time we will meet each other here in the Championship, so nothing really new and, for that, both coaches are prepared.”
When Farke has a compatriot and buddy in very similar circumstances just a few miles down the road, you may expect them to meet together at some point. Perhaps a few precious seconds can be seized in the bowels of Huddersfield’s stadium after full-time.
“It’s always great to see him because he’s a really, really great guy, but, so far, there was not the time for a personal meeting due to the relentless schedule,” he told reporters. “I’m looking forward to having a little chat at least with him on Saturday and there will also be the time to sit down a little bit at some point in the future.”
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