Football
Exclusive: Leeds Could Turn to Former Bielsa Protégé Carlos Corberan if Farke Departs
Former Huddersfield and West Brom boss Carlos Corberan is interested in returning to Leeds United if Daniel Farke is let go. Corberan, who worked closely with Marcelo Bielsa, left to coach Valencia. Leeds may consider him to improve their Premier League survival chances.
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Carlos Corberan is keen on exploring the possibility of making what would be an emotional return to Leeds United if the Premier League strugglers decide to part company with Daniel Farke, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
With his team positioned 16th in the table and only a point above the relegation zone, Farke’s position is expected to come under increasing scrutiny during the international break.
And Corberan, despite currently being in charge of fallen-Spanish giants Valencia, is expected to discreetly throw his hat into the ring to succeed the German if Elland Road’s hierarchy decide a change is required.
Aged 42, Corberan spent three years in West Yorkshire after moving to England in 2017, working closely with Marcelo Bielsa.
An integral part of the coaching set-up which helped Leeds win promotion under his former mentor, Corberan left to pursue an opportunity with neighbours Huddersfield.
RELATIONSHIP
His relationship with Bielsa, and role in building one of the best loved squads in Leeds recent history, would make him a popular appointment among the club’s faithful although the likes of Brendan Rodgers, Ange Postecoglou and Steven Gerrard have all been mooted as potential replacements for Farke.
Despite losing four of their last five outings, Leeds’ top brass are known to be more sympathetic towards their manager than large sections of the side’s fan base, which had expected to comfortably retain its top flight status after cutting a swathe through the Championship.
But they will not hesitate to make a change if they think it will enhance Leeds’ chances of survival, even though Farke continues to command a great deal of respect behind the scenes.
Corberan began his coaching career in Cyprus, before initially being appointed as Leeds’ under-23 coach. Bielsa handed him a senior position on his backroom staff after identifying his talents. As well as Huddersfield, Corberan also led West Bromwich Albion before heading back to his homeland.
However, Valencia’s on-going financial issues have proven difficult to navigate, meaning the lure of Leeds could prove impossible for Corberan to resist should the position become vacant.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.