Leeds United vs Luton Town free betting tips, odds and predictions
Leeds United will maintain their lead at the top of the Championship if they can beat a struggling Luton Town at Elland Road on Wednesday night.
Farke was a professional football player in his native Germany, playing in the lower tiers. He spent the majority of his career with SV Lippstadt 08, for whom he had three separate spells. He also spent time at SV Wilhelmshaven, Bonner SC and SV Meppen.
He retired from the game at the age of 31, having already begun studying economics in the hope of getting another job in football, specifically as a sporting director. At the time, Farke had no real interest in becoming a manager but he did embark on a coaching course to get a feel of what the role entailed.
SV Lippstadt 08 offered him the chance to rejoin the club as a sporting director, provided he also took on the role of head coach for the final games of the season. It was a fantastic appointment by his former club and the dual role became a long-term arrangement, lasting six years.
He led SV Lippstadt from the sixth tier to the fourth tier and is regarded as the most successful coach in the club's history.
Upon stepping down, he had planned to take a year's sabbatical but then accepted the opportunity to take charge of Borussia Dortmund II. His time at Dortmund was also a success as he led a team that were near the relegation zone to a fourth-place finish in the Regionalliga West in his first season.
After failing to agree a new contract at Dortmund, Norwich came calling and he was appointed their manager in May 2017.
After being named the club's first non-British or Irish manager, Farke's first season at Norwich was a challenging one. However, it was clear he was learning game-by-game about the demands of English football and in particular, the Championship, notoriously one of the most difficult leagues in the world.
His first match in charge of the Canaries was a 1-1 draw with Fulham, a game in which Portuguese striker Nelson Oliveira scored a late equaliser for Norwich at Craven Cottage.
Norwich performed well against two Premier League sides in cup competitions that season, taking Arsenal to extra time in the fourth round of the EFL Cup before securing a replay against Chelsea in the third round of the FA Cup. They were eventually eliminated after a penalty shootout.
The next season, Norwich City went on to win the Championship, with Farke earning plaudits for his managerial style.
During the summer of 2018 they secured signings that would go on to be crucial for the club. The main standouts were creative midfielder Emi Buendia from Getafe, experienced goalkeeper Tim Krul and clinical striker Teemu Pukki on a free transfer.
Farke speaks particularly good English and has a respectful demeanour that rubs off on his players. During the 2018/19 season, the bond between staff, players and fans was evident and they went about their job of achieving promotion together, as one.
Teemu Pukki contributed 29 league goals in his debut Championship season, while Tim Krul helped Norwich to 13 clean sheets as the new signings shone under Farke.
Towards the end of the campaign, Farke was rewarded with a new three-year deal designed to extend his stay with the Canaries until June 2022.
One player who enjoyed increased prominence was Ben Godfrey, who quickly established himself as a key player for the Canaries having spent a successful season in League One with Shrewsbury Town.
Farke now had a youthful look to his team, having developed players in his first two years in charge. Defenders Max Aarons, Godfrey and Jamal Lewis were already gaining attention from bigger clubs, as was young attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell, who grew up locally and is a Norwich fan.
Teemu Pukki was in inspired form, scoring five times in the East Anglian side's opening four league outings, including a hat-trick against Newcastle United. However, despite this, Norwich could only win two of their first five games and this was followed up with no wins in seven.
Even though the club lost 12 of their last 13 matches, the Norwich board showed faith in Farke and the progress that the club had made while he had been in charge. Farke was determined to put things right by attempting to get Norwich City promoted back to the top flight at the first time of asking.
Many of the players who had been on the journey with Farke stayed loyal and despite interest from other clubs, decided to fight for redemption.
Having already experienced winning the second tier once before, Norwich proved to be at an advantage, displaying know-how as well as undoubted talent throughout their ranks.
Pukki was once again the star man, scoring 26 league goals, with Buendia providing 16 assists and netting 15 goals. Norwich went on an unbeaten run of 13 matches that left them with an unassailable lead at the top of the league. Farke's ability to keep hold of these key players meant that Norwich were once again able to win the league and gain promotion for the second time in three seasons.
Following a second promotion to the Premier League, Farke signed a new contract extension with the Canaries.
Farke is married with two children.
He is known for having a great sense of humour and has even compared himself to Johnny Depp in an interview. He said that if Depp can take curses in his movie Pirates of the Caribbean, then he can also do the same and take them in his life.
His coaching style is one where he lets the players express themselves and have fun out on the soccer pitch. His style is reflected by the way he presents himself in interviews, as he can have a serious and knowledgeable side, but also a fun, caring side.
It is estimated by multiple outlets that Farke's net worth stands at between $1million and $5million.
Leeds United will maintain their lead at the top of the Championship if they can beat a struggling Luton Town at Elland Road on Wednesday night.
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