Ripples from Daniel Farke’s appointment have started to take hold at Leeds United. Marcos Abad, the club’s goalkeeping coach since 2017, will depart Elland Road.
Farke arrived with his backroom team of Eddie Riemer, Christopher John and Chris Domogalla yesterday and while none of them are goalkeeping specialists, Abad has been shown the door nonetheless, as first reported by The Athletic. The Spaniard arrived in 2017 with former director of football Victor Orta, after working alongside his compatriot in Elche and Middlesbrough.
Abad has since worked under Thomas Christiansen, Paul Heckingbottom, Marcelo Bielsa, Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce, but there is no space for him in Farke’s team. Farke’s goalkeeping coaches at Norwich City and Borussia Monchengladbach each predated his arrival, suggesting they are not a part of his travelling backroom staff.
During his time at Elland Road, Abad worked with regular starters like Felix Wiedwald, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Kiko Casilla and Illan Meslier. Meslier came under fire last season for his part in the league-high number of goals conceded before Allardyce dropped him for the final four games of the campaign.
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The France under-21 international is expected to depart Leeds after relegation this summer, though concrete links are yet to materialise. After going away to the European Under-21 Championship with his country, Meslier’s first day back is July 10.
With Joel Robles out of contract and yet to take up the club’s pre-season invitation, Dani van den Heuvel is the most senior stopper currently in training. Kristoffer Klaesson is expected to link up, like Meslier, on July 10.
United are planning to sign at least one senior goalkeeper this summer as one of the key priorities of the transfer window.
