Mighty Leeds Weblog

Words By The Board Leeds United have announced that Red Bull has taken a minority ownership stake in the club, as well as becoming our front-of-shirt sponsor. There was a mixed response from the fan base with some welcoming the financial investment, which of course is becoming more important to delivering on-field success, while others expressed their concerns strongly on what Red Bull’s future intentions could be, given their history with other sports clubs. We would be naïve as fans to assume there isn’t a larger, long-term plan for Red Bull’s initial foot in the door at Leeds United. The global energy drink brand owns RB Leipzig in Germany's Bundesliga, Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg, MLS side New York Red Bulls, as well as Red Bull Bragantino and RB Brasil in Brazil. In the past, they have made significant changes to club names, badges and kits, placing their brand front and centre, overshadowing and in some cases erasing the history of the clubs they have purchased. This ...

The drinks giant have bought a minority stake in the Yorkshire club - but will we see Red Bull Leeds in the future? By George Simms Red Bull have bought a minority stake in Leeds and have signed a multi-year deal to be the club’s front of shirt sponsor. The energy drink brand have a controversial image in football due to their ownership of RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg. Both clubs are considering footballing cuckoos, having implemented name, kit colour and branding changes to render long-established clubs totally unrecognisable. Leeds fans have understandably been concerned this could also happen to their side – but is that a genuine possibility and what does Red Bull’s sponsorship and investment mean for Leeds? i spoke to football finance expert Kieran Maguire to find out. What Red Bull sponsorship means for Leeds’ promotion prospects As Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe told The Athletic, the Red Bull deal is a “significant minority investment.” Marathe said: “From a...

By Graham Smyth Leeds United Supporters Trust say they will meet any changes to the club’s heritage with ‘maximum resistance’ after global energy drink brand Red Bull bought a minority ownership stake in the club. The move, which includes a front-of-shirt sponsorship deal, was followed by assurances from club chairman Paraag Marathe, head of the 49ers Enterprises ownership group, that this is not and will not be more than a minority stake and there is no desire from either party to create a ‘Red Bull Leeds’ identity. Red Bull’s imprint at other clubs, however, including name changes, new badges and kit colours, is at the heart of concerns from the Supporters Trust, who say they will work with football’s authorities in preparation for any such moves by the new minority owners. A Trust statement said: “Leeds United have announced that Red Bull has taken a minority ownership stake in the club, as well as becoming our front-of-shirt sponsor. There was a mixed response from the fan ...

By Leon Wobschall LEEDS UNITED have stressed that the club's name and logo will remain unchanged following the arrival of Red Bull to their consortium of investment partners. The global soft drinks giant has acquired a minority shareholding in the club and will also be the new shirt sponsor for Leeds' men's and women's first teams in a multi-year agreement. While there is no exact figure to the extent of Red Bull's financial support, it is said to be 'significant', but the multi-national - which controls a large stable of football teams worldwide alongside its major Formula One operation - will not be represented on the board. They own successful Bundesliga side RB Leipzig and Austrian outfit RB Salzburg alongside New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Bragantino, and Red Bull Brasil. There will be no name changes to the Leeds name or logo, the club have insisted. On the addition of Red Bull to the list of investors brought to the club by owners 49ers Ente...

By Lee Sobot Leeds announced on Thursday morning that Red Bull had bought a minority stake in the Whites. Football finance expert Kieran Maguire says Red Bull’s buy into Leeds United gives the Whites “flexibility” with FPS and can help prevent a summer “fire sale” at Elland Road. Leeds saw their bid for an immediate return to the Premier League ended in Sunday’s Championship play-off final to Southampton who sealed a 1-0 win at Wembley to instead put themselves back in the top-flight at the first attempt. The defeat has left Daniel Farke’s Whites heading for a second consecutive season in the second tier but now with fresh investment from Red Bull who will also be the club’s front of shirt sponsor starting from next season. Leeds announced on Thursday morning that they had sealed a ‘multi-year agreement with Red Bull for a deal which would bring in new commercial revenues as well as additional capital investment for a minority ownership stake.’ As the club battle with Profi...

Energy drink giant has put its branding in the official name of teams like Salzburg and New York but that will not happen at Yorkshire club Mike McGrath Leeds United have insisted their name and badge will remain unchanged following Red Bull’s investment in the club that will see the energy drink company bring in “new commercial revenues” and sponsor kit. The Championship club, who missed out on promotion to the Premier League at the weekend, have announced Red Bull is buying a minority ownership stake in its first venture into English football. Red Bull put its branding in the official name of Salzburg and New York among the teams it owns, but RB Leipzig use initials as German football does not allow clubs to be named after companies. While Leeds will have Red Bull on their strip next season and branding emblazoned around Elland Road and seen during media appearances, the club were adamant in their statement announcing the tie-up that “the name and logo of Leeds United Footb...

By Stuart Rayner Daniel Farke says Leeds United need more experience next season, but insists it is in the club's “DNA” to bring through youngsters. A youthful side were punished for one defensive lapse in Sunday's Championship play-off final, when Adam Armstrong pounced on a moment of defensive disorganisation to score the only goal. At 27, former Barnsley loanee Armstrong was older than all but two Leeds players on the pitch at the time, and his 398 senior appearances was considerably more even than Junior Firpo and Glen Kamara have made. Farke, who sidelined captain Liam Cooper this season, loaned out his deputy Luke Ayling to Middlesbrough (he has since joined permanently), lost Stuart Dallas to a career-ending injury and Patrick Bamford for the play-offs to a knee problem, frequently cited his side's inexperience during the run-in. But he also stressed the importance of bringing through young players, as Leeds did last season with 18-year-old Archie Gray and ...

By Kyle Newbould The 23-year-old showed glimpses of quality but could not nail down a consistent place in the Leeds United frontline. Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has already hinted he plans to keep Jaidon Anthony for next season after the winger’s loan spell at Leeds United. Anthony joined Leeds in the final minutes of last summer’s transfer window as a makeweight in the departure of Luis Sinisterra. The two deals were not directly connected but after accepting they would lose Sinisterra, those in charge at Elland Road negotiated for a replacement and it was thought that Anthony would enjoy more minutes in West Yorkshire. Those minutes never fully materialised, however, with the 23-year-old only starting two Championship matches while jostling for position with the Championship’s player of the season, Crysencio Summerville. That Summerville looks set to leave this summer could open the door for a return and more consistent football under Daniel Farke but it seems Anthony’...

By Stuart Rayner The season just ended was brought to you by the letters P and S. Chairman Padraag Marathe hopes Leeds United have to get used to the alphabet soup of football regulation. Season 2023-24 will go down as when the Premier League finally got serious about its profit and sustainability rules – or PSR/P&S as it calls its version of FFP (financial fair play). Everton were docked eight points, Nottingham Forest four. The Premier League are coming for Leicester City when they return to their jurisdiction this summer. The Football League (EFL) did not hide its frustration at being unable to catch the Foxes but clobbered Reading (six points), Wigan Athletic (eight) and Morecambe (three). No matter how "well-capitalised" Marathe insists Leeds are, even after money is set aside to spruce up Elland Road and do some preparation work for the major project – a new West Stand – earmarked for a Premier League, there are limits on what they can spend and a "cr...

By Kyle Newbould The defender is expected to leave Tottenham this summer but an impressive loan spell at Leeds United has attracted Premier League interest. Leeds United’s hope of keeping Joe Rodon took a blow with failure to achieve promotion but the defender has already hinted he could be open to an Elland Road return. Rodon has been immense since joining Leeds on loan from Tottenham last summer, establishing himself as one of Daniel Farke’s key men with only two outfield players - Ethan Ampadu and Georginio Rutter - playing more Championship minutes. The Welsh international has also endeared himself to the fanbase with performances equal in commitment and quality and an obvious love for their club. But the centre-back’s loan spell ended in bitter disappointment with Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Southampton in the Championship play-off final, an outcome which makes a permanent move to West Yorkshire less likely. Tottenham are willing to sell the 26-year-old but will demand around £...

Dear Leeds Supporters, While we weren’t able to accomplish our final goal of earning promotion this season, I want to thank you all for your continuous support for the club and squad throughout the campaign. Daniel and the squad earned an impressive 90 points, which is a fantastic achievement and shouldn’t be overlooked. Congratulations to Ipswich Town and Leicester City for their near historic points totals which earned them automatic promotion, and to Southampton for persevering through the Play-Offs. We enter this summer with the primary goal of putting ourselves in the best position to compete for promotion next season. I can promise you that as we regroup, we’ll be consistent in our approach of operating with a deliberate strategy to put the most competitive team on the pitch that we can. Above all, your collective energy and passion at Elland Road, and travelling with the squad, will be critical to our next campaign. You are the best supporters in the world and we felt th...

By Joe Donnohue Kalvin Phillips was mobbed by fans on Olympic Way after Leeds United's play-off final defeat by Southampton at Wembley Stadium last weekend. If it didn't involve leaving tens of millions of pounds on the table, Kalvin Phillips to Leeds United, whether on loan or permanently, is the transfer that would make most sense this summer. The defensive midfielder revered in West Yorkshire has had a difficult time of it since departing Elland Road two summers ago in a £42 million transfer to Manchester City. Phillips has hardly featured under Citizens boss Pep Guardiola, while his attempt to play his way back into the England reckoning ahead of Euro 2024 by going on loan to West Ham United, backfired. While City were celebrating their Premier League victory in a characteristic Manchester downpour on board an open-top bus, Phillips was leaving Wembley, that characteristic grin plastered across his face, surrounded by those whose unconditional support had propelled ...

LAST TIME, THIS TIME, NEXT TIME Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman Leeds United only needed to turn up, that was all. Just show up, be there, be themselves. Or maybe being themselves, being Leeds United, was the problem – maybe that’s always the problem. But it was Wembley, it was the Championship play-off final, it was the richest game in football, all of that. But it was only Southampton. Southampton are a good team and beat Leeds twice in the league season, but they finished a place below in the table. Not much between the two sides, as they say, and nothing to fear. Leeds could beat Southampton if Leeds played well. They only needed, first, to turn up. What the hell is it with Leeds United and Wembley? We may never know. Maybe there isn’t an answer. The 1973 FA Cup final that Leeds lost to Second Division Sunderland remains one of the enduring mysteries of the club’s great Revie era. Few people know more about football than the legendary players on the pitch for Leeds ...

By Tom Coates Leeds United captain Liam Cooper has broken his silence on the club’s Wembley heartbreak. Southampton emerged victorious from the Championship play-off final, sealing a return to the top flight at the expense of the Whites. Cooper, the longest serving player on Leeds’ books, watched on from the bench as an unused substitute. Members of the Leeds squad opted against speaking post-match, but Cooper has now issued a brief statement via social media to address the defeat. Posting on X, formerly Twitter, he said: “Proud of our club. We will come again.” His words are accompanied by a picture of Leeds fans at Wembley, scarves aloft, in the final few minutes before kick-off under the arch. Another summer of change appears to be ahead for Leeds, who must now prepare for another season in the second tier. Cooper is out of contract and as it stands, will be seeking pastures new as a free agent. There will also inevitably be clubs circling for some of Leeds’ most valuabl...

By Joe Donnohue Among Leeds United's most pressing financial issues following last Sunday's play-off final defeat is the need to fund up to £190 million in outstanding transfer fees owed to other clubs. The Whites' failure to clinch promotion via the Championship play-offs has ramifications for their summer spending and future financial health. Premier League membership is worth approximately £140 million per season whereas clubs in the second tier receive a fraction of the income of their top flight counterparts due to reduced centralised payments in the EFL and lower broadcast TV deals. Leeds will still be in receipt of parachute payments during 2024/25, although that will be reduced by roughly 18 per cent compared to how much they will have received in 2023/24. While the financial picture is far from rosy, nor is it overtly bleak, as outlined in the club's most recent set of accounts. That said, as for any business with operating costs at Leeds' level, th...

Daniel Farke has reiterated his trust in Leeds United owners 49ers Enterprises and vowed that the club will be ready for the start of the 2024/25 Championship season. Speaking after Sunday's bitter disappointment at Wembley Stadium, where Leeds ended their promotion campaign with more of a whimper than a bang in a 1-0 defeat by Southampton, Farke was reluctant to speak in detail about what happens now. The German signed a four-year deal last summer and is expected to retain the backing of the club's owners for a second shot at Premier League status. A chaotic first transfer window, dominated for the most part by the stampede for the exit and a glut of release clauses, meant Leeds began the season on the back foot, squad wise. It was not until the transfer window closed at the start of September that Farke knew exactly who he would be taking into the remainder of the first half of the season. Despite that difficult start to the campaign, Farke insists his optimism over the c...

By Graham Smyth Graham Smyth on some of the things you might have missed from Sunday’s Play Off Final defeat to Southampton at Wembley Once Leeds United missed out on a top two finish their season was only ever going to end one of two ways. Having overcome Norwich City in the play-off semi-final, Leeds set themselves up for a do-or-die, all or nothing game against Southampton at Wembley. What they came away from Wembley with was nothing, the club's grim play-off record adding another XI to its list of victims. Here's the YEP take. Good Day Adam Armstrong. The striker had already made one run in behind that suggested he would be a problem, before he repeated the trick to score the winner. He likely couldn't believe his luck at being that free. But he took his moment. That was the difference between the sides, a player able to make something happen and seize his opportunity. His centre forward play was sharp and his movement good. Russell Martin. Once Leeds gifted t...

Rather than joining the Premier League, the Yorkshire club may have to raid it for fringe players Richard Jolly The Premier League was so close that Leeds United could see it. So near that, twice in swift succession, Daniel Farke referred to it as “the promised land”. He got a glimpse of it, and then a return ticket to the more familiar terrain of the Championship. But then both the play-offs and Wembley promise only disappointment for Leeds. They have another year to reflect on the Dan James half-volley that hit the bar, lacking only the dip to take the game level, perhaps to extra time. Instead, Southampton prevailed and bumped up a division. Or maybe they have 12 months to ponder the April defeats to Coventry, Blackburn and QPR when Leeds, after a season playing catch-up, had manoeuvred themselves into a position where automatic promotion beckoned. The promise loomed large then, too. Farke referenced their total of 90 points a couple of times, too. That would often bring a top...

By Graham Smyth Excitement, expectation, hope, nerves, torture, disappointment and despair. This is how it goes for Leeds United at Wembley, where they always end up looking on from the outside as the promotion party goes off. This club is notorious for doing things in the most conceivably difficult or awkward fashion. Winning the Championship and giving the Premier League a bloody nose without fans there to see it. Leeds, that. Earning 90 points and it somehow not being enough even for second place was yet more proof of that. But having gifted Southampton the only goal of Sunday's do-or-die game, Leeds set themselves up to once again do it the difficult way and then just didn't do it. Star players didn't do it. Farke's preparations and plans didn't do it. Only the fans, who put on a breathtaking display with the usual soundtrack, did themselves justice. They get where water can't, so were not restricted to simply their designated end. They were in the '...

By Joe Donnohue Leeds United were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the Championship play-off final confirming the Whites will play second tier football next season. Leeds missed out on promotion to the Premier League in the cruellest fashion on Sunday afternoon as Southampton's Adam Armstrong put paid to United's hopes of returning to the top flight at the first attempt. The Saints striker's first half effort made all the difference despite Leeds' push to restore parity during the second half and take the game to extra-time. Daniel Farke reflected on the game at full-time, reiterating the inexperience of his young side, suggesting it may have played a part in Leeds' inability to secure promotion after an imperious run midway through the season and 90-point finish. From Wembley Stadium, here are five factors which contributed to Leeds falling at the final hurdle. Key players unavailable Leeds were unable to call upon Patrick Bamford, Pascal Struijk and Stua...