Danish coach Bo Svensson is the latest name to be linked with a move to Elland Road. Daniel Farke’s place at the club has been debated over the past week after the Whites lost to Nottingham Forest.
Prior to that result, it is believed that the board had given Farke five games to turn things around. The followed a bad loss at Brighton. Defeat at Forest means the German now needs a positive result against Aston Villa, before Leeds face Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.
The narrative during this international break has been around Farke’s future, with multiple names linked with replacing him. When the Whites return from the break, they have arguably the most difficult run of fixtures in the league.
If it’s true the club’s board have given Farke the next few weeks to turn things around, he needs a miracle. It’s believed the ownership do not want to repeat their mistake with Jesse Marsch three years ago, with the American allowed to be in charge past halfway into the season before he was sacked. Leeds were then relegated later that season, with both Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce given limited time to turn around the club’s fortunes, with the damage already done under Marsch.
Marco Rose, Marco Silva and Brendan Rodgers have recently been linked with the job, but now there is a new name who tops the list with the bookies, flying into the frame from nowhere to be on the odds-on favourite to replace Farke if he is sacked.
Bo Svensson tipped for Leeds United job
Former Union Berlin boss Bo Svensson has been tipped to become the next Leeds United coach. The 46-year-old started his career in 2015, when he was appointed as a youth coach at his old club Mainz 05. Svensson then progressed to become the club’s U19 coach.
| Club | Games Managed | Wins | Win Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Liefering | 43 | 23 | 53.49% |
| 1. FSV Mainz 05 | 105 | 38 | 36.19% |
| Union Berlin | 17 | 5 | 29.41% |
| Total | 165 | 66 | 40% |
In 2019, he landed his first coaching job with FC Liefering in the second-tier of Austrian football. Two years later, he found himself as the head coach of his old club Mainz 05. He had a successful stint there for the next two years before his last coaching job at Union Berlin, where he only lasted six months. Svensson has been without a club since December 2024.
Would Bo Svensson be a good fit for Leeds?
The first thing that sticks out about Svensson is how his Mainz campaigns saw his team have very little of the ball. They averaged around 44% possession in three seasons, and were always among the lowest in the league. So he is quite good with coaching teams that punch above their weight.
| Season | Finish |
|---|---|
| 2020/21 (half season) | 12th |
| 2021/22 | 8th |
| 2022/23 | 9th |
| 2023/24 (partial season until Nov 2023) | 18th (at departure) |
This is something Leeds United could use now, as they can barely dictate games like they used to in the Championship. Svensson’s time in Germany saw Mainz also qualify for the Europa Conference League. His teams were not the most prolific, but were defensively sound; Mainz were the fourth best defence in the Bundesliga in 2021/22.
Bo Svensson is a coach adept at taking over smaller clubs, and turned Mainz into a club that qualified for European football. He fits the bill to take over the hot seat at Elland Road. But no one can accurately predict how well he will do in England. If his past record is anything to go by, he could be a solid appointment for the club in the current circumstances.
