Daniel Farke was born and raised in the charming town of Steinhausen, Germany.
To give an indication of just how charming the place is, it’s not unknown for residents to fly over to the UK, to cheer on a side Farke manages. First there was Norwich, and currently, Leeds.
These people are not friends of the Premier League coach. Perhaps they grew up three streets down, or work with his cousin. All the same, they are justifiably proud of one of their own.
It was in Steinhausen where Farke began his footballing journey, excelling for his hometown club before joining TuS Paderborn-Neuhaus in 1994.
There followed a 14-year playing career, all of which unfolded across Germany’s lower leagues, and while Farke has self-effacingly described himself as the ‘slowest striker in Western Europe’ his strike-rate was impressive. Seventy-six goals were converted in 109 outings.
On hanging up his boots – doing so early, aged just 31, due to injuries – Farke studied economics, with a view to becoming a sporting director.
At that juncture he did not have any desire to enter the world of management, though he took his badges all the same. Coaching, he believed, did not suit his strengths. Life, however, had other plans.
How much is Daniel Farke worth?
Farke was the highest paid manager in the Championship last term, earning £2m a year. There is also a substantial promotion bonus to consider.
Having secured a top-flight berth, his salary has been bumped up to £3m per annum.
At Norwich, he was initially on £525,000 a year but this almost quadrupled on guiding them into the Premier League. This greatly improved deal was cemented in July 2021 with an extension. Signed just months prior to getting sacked Farke will have received a portion of his future earnings as part of his termination package.
The 48-year-old’s wealth may pale to many of his Premier League peers, but he is still a very rich man, with a net worth exceeding £3.5m.
Management
SV Lippstadt 08 play in the Regionalliga West, in a ground that holds a modest 4,200 spectators. Their honours roll entirely consists of locally won leagues and locally won cups.
Farke had played for the small outfit on three occasions in his career, and subsequently had built up an affiliation with the club who, in 2009, were undergoing a troubling period, and not for the first time.
Languishing in the sixth tier of German football, they were burning through managers and in dire need of someone to guide them in a new direction.
With another disappointing season almost concluded they approached their former player and offered him the sporting director role, his dream gig. There was, however, a significant caveat. Farke must also take on the first-team manager position.
Accepting the offer, Frake soon discovered to his surprise that coaching was in fact something he enjoyed. He was evidently good at it too, taking Lippstadt up two divisions in his six years in charge.
Naturally, such successes did not go unnoticed higher up the food chain and in 2015 Borussia Dortmund II made enquiries. Initially, their overtures were politely declined, Farke intending to take a year off, but soon enough the scale of the opportunity became too tempting to turn down.
For the next couple of seasons this most reluctant of managers took the helm at one of the giants of German football, if only for their reserve team.
Norwich City
By 2017, Farke’s stock was rising, admired beyond Dortmund as a coach who encouraged his players to express themselves, within a tactical framework designed to get the best out of his attacking talent.
This made him a target for several clubs, all pertinently aware of an ongoing contract dispute in Germany. The newbie coach was apparently weighing up all his options, open to a move overseas.
Having fallen short of the Championship Play-Off spots the season before, Norwich City were certainly in need of an offense-minded coach, but having lured him across to England, Canaries fans must have wondered what the fuss was about.
In his opening campaign, Farke oversaw a side that scored almost half of their tally the year before. They duly finished an underwhelming 14th.
In 2018/19 though everything clicked. Buoyed by exciting new signings such as Emi Buendia and Teemu Pukki up front, Norwich were unstoppable, racking up 94 points and claiming the Championship title.
Could they now transfer this gung-ho approach to the unforgiving Premier League? The online betting believed not, Norwich made favourites that summer for the drop.
Regrettably, with Farke unwilling to compromise on his ways, that is exactly what happened. A middling start to the following season saw the manager sacked in November.
Leeds United
There were other jobs in between Norwich and Leeds, along with that year off he had always intended to take.
There was a brief stint at Krasnodar in Russia, until the country invaded Ukraine and made it impossible for Farke to stay.
There was a solitary season with Borussia Monchengladbach where he failed to get the Foals flying.
Then in July 2023, to the surprise of some, Leeds United made their move, having just endured a chaotic season in the top-flight that resulted in relegation at the hands of four different managers.
A lot of big names departed as Farke arrived, all replaced by shrewd recruitments willing to work hard and learn, and a new-look Leeds duly tore into the second-tier with relish. Ultimately they were undone by a Play-Off Final loss at Wembley to Southampton.
To the team’s – and Farke’s – immense credit though there was no hangover from this. Instead, they redoubled their efforts and returned better, even stronger.
By Easter weekend, Leeds secured promotion by thrashing Stoke 6-0 at Elland Road. They eventually finished as champions on 100 points.
The big question as the Yorkshire club embarks on a return to the promised land is whether Farke can learn from mistakes made at Carrow Road. Can he compromise on his ideals via necessity?
Alas, the betting markets are doubtful of this, Leeds’ Premier League odds tipping them to drop. All we can do at this stage is to wait and see.
Family Life
Farke derives from footballing heritage, his grandfather, Franz, having played for Borussia Dortmund. Moreover, his son, Luis Engelns has continued the tradition, turning out for SC Paderborn 07.
The manager also has another son, Paul, and is happily married to Susanne.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Adobe*
