Even after Norwich City’s first win of the season in the Premier League, Daniel Farke let his players go first. From the background, Farke observed the joy and relief of his professionals who paid a visit to the fans in the stadium curve. When the players were cheered for the hard-won 2-1 at fellow promoted Brentford FC, the supporters also asked their German coach to step forward. Alone, Farke, who is alien to self-praise, broke away from the crowd and ran towards the fans, who bowed to him with a standing ovation. They waited for Farke to raise his hands to the wave again – just as he always did after victories in his four-and-a-half year tenure. And of course Farke kept his promise: once, twice, three times and even a fourth time he wrenched his arms up. Then he put his hand on his heart and said goodbye – for an indefinite period of time, as it turned out shortly afterwards.
Almost out of nowhere, Norwich announced on Saturday evening about two and a half hours after the jubilation aria at the end of the game that it would end its collaboration with Farke and his three closest employees. The board of directors around the owner couple Delia Smith (TV chef) and Michael Wynn Jones (publisher), both 80 years old, had already decided to take this step before the game, after sports director Stuart Webber had designed a future without Farke on Thursday. That explained the embarrassed expressions of the club officials in the stands, although Norwich was in the lead for the first time of the season thanks to the early goals by Mathias Normann (6th) and Teemu Pukki (29th / penalty). In a statement, Webber let it be known that this measure was “not easy” for him, but that “now is the right time” for the break in order to create relegation.
Despite the upward trend, the club is bottom of the table five points behind a non-relegation place. Webber, whose contract expires next year, passed the decision to Farke in the stadium after he had ended his media duties in which he presented his plan for the two-week league break. After the return trip, Farke finally addressed the players and staff at the training ground in a final address. He did it with decency, even if the exemption must have hurt him hard.
The termination itself is likely to have surprised Farke less than the timing
It was reported that Farke, 45, should not have known anything about his release in advance, but it should not have come as a complete surprise for him. After the 7-0 draw at Chelsea two weeks ago, Webber sent out the first alarm signals in the form of an unusual speech in which he supported his coach (“To question him would be incredibly unfair”) – but also called for a reaction to the debacle . But the duel against fellow rivals Leeds United was lost again (1: 2).
For Farke, however, more drastic than the Leeds defeat was the (exaggerated) expectation in the club that after the costly summer additions for around 65 million euros, including former Bremen-based Milos Rashica and Josh Sargent, they would have to be immediately competitive in the most demanding league World. Worries about a repetition of the previous unsophisticated descent was too present in Norwich when the team got off to a similarly lousy start two years ago. The Ostwestfale had to Farke in Emiliano Buendía (38 million / Aston Villa) recently surrendered once again to his supposedly best player. The Greek Christos Tzolis, 19, brought in for him, with around eleven million euros in transfer of the record transfer in Farke’s era, has so far only been used sporadically. Just like Billy Gilmour, 20, who was borrowed from Chelsea and whose short stint has recently become a political issue. It wasn’t until Chelsea’s coach Thomas Tuchel, who once worked with Farke at Dortmund, spoke a word of power (by instructing Gilmour to fight his way through) that the debate subsided.
Due to the demanding opening games with an immense number of goals conceded, Farke strengthened his defensive in autumn. For the light-footed, strong-playing Gilmour and Todd Cantwell – with Buendía and striker Pukki two of the poster boys of the promotion – there was no longer any place in the starting line-up. Two goalless draws in connection with the now first success in the Premier League since February 2020 indicated that Farke might have gotten the curve – if the club had let him continue. Until a new trainer is presented, according to reports, junior manager Steve Weaver will take over the training.
By 2017, Farke had formed a powerful team from little-known professionals
The congenial duo Webber / Farke seemed inseparable. After Sean Dyche (Burnley), Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool) and Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Farke was the longest-serving coach in the league. It wasn’t until the summer that he extended his contract by four years after the newly installed Webber lured him to Norwich with the first official act in the summer of 2017. Despite the then financially threatening situation of the club, Farke managed to form a powerful team from a number of little-known professionals that played a remarkably attractive football. Although several clubs in the meantime became aware of Farke, he remained loyal to Norwich.
As a thank you for his work, his players bowed to their coach on Sunday with some touching news. In 208 games, Farke has led the club to 88 wins and to the two promotions in 2019 and 2021. During this time he has developed the already expensive James Maddison, Jamal Lewis, Ben Godfrey, Max Aarons and Buendía to advanced top talent, as well like Pukki and Cantwell, who are still employed in the club. But above all, Daniel Farke has made a name for himself as a top coach.