Here are your Leeds United evening headlines for Saturday, April 25.
EFL release statement on Leeds’ promotion chances
The EFL are still committed to seeing out the rest of the 2019/20 season, which would be Leeds’ best chance of getting back to the Premier League since relegation in 2003.
The statement from the Championship’s ruling body included information about when we will know when football is safe to return amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The statement reads: “The EFL notes this morning’s newspaper reports in respect of the potential resumption of professional football matches in England and Wales and welcomes the current steps being taken by the UK Government to establish a group of governing bodies to look at the complex set of challenges facing the wider sporting industry.
“The position of the EFL remains unchanged in that the priority is to resume the 2019/20 season as soon as possible with matches only returning at an appropriate point and based on guidance from the relevant authorities.
“The health and well-being of the nation has to come first. However, it is also our view a successful return to playing in this country can only come through a continued collaborative approach with all stakeholders, including the Premier League and Football Association, in order for important issues to be aligned such as, but not limited to, scheduling of fixtures, promotion, relegation and the opening and closing of transfer windows.”
You can read the full statement here .
Carragher thinks Leeds deserve promotion
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes that Leeds deserve promotion this season, with the Whites currently top of the Championship.
Carragher shares some of the fears that Leeds supporters have about the possibility of their side not being promoted, with Liverpool top of the Premier League by 25 points.
“In the current circumstances, it is impossible for clubs with a chance of a trophy, Champions League qualification or promotion to publicly express an eagerness to continue because of the backlash that will follow; the accusation that they care more about their ambitions than the health of the nation,” Carragher said in his Telegraph column.
“As a former Liverpool player, I acknowledge that restarting the season helps Liverpool towards the title.
“But based on the 29 games played, who can reasonably say Jurgen Klopp’s side do not deserve it?
“Based on the fixtures played, I also believe Leicester City deserve Champions League football and Leeds United to be promoted to the Premier League.”
Neville urges Premier League chairman to help EFL clubs
Gary Neville has called on new Premier League chairman Gary Hoffman to “do the right thing” by taking out a multi-million-pound loan that can help save the future of EFL club.
Neville, who is the joint-owner of League Two side Salford City, believes Hoffman will know all about the finances of lower league clubs due to his close affiliation with Coventry City in the past.
Hoffman left his role as chief executive of Hastings Insurance and worked closely with the Sky Blues during their time in the Championship.
“Hoffman will understand the predicament of lower league clubs,” the former Manchester United defender told Sky Sports.
“I said four weeks ago, before this started the kind of huge opportunity here to do the right thing and prop the game up.
“I mentioned that they should go and borrow a billion pounds – it was a number, to be fair, I just said flippantly at that time against the future income sources.
“The future revenues are into the tens of billions in the Premier League and more if they wanted to extend their TV contracts.
“The idea of basically borrowing at this time £300 or £400million, £500 million, which is more than an affordable number, doing a soft deal with a bank on a loan to give the FA, the EFL, the players, whoever it is – the National League need £15million.”
