Leeds fan slashed outside Carrow Road in knife-attack horror
NORWICH CITY were last night helping police with their investigations after a Leeds supporter was attacked with a blade shortly after this Championship play-off first leg at Carrow Road.
The fan was behind the Barclay Stand when he was slashed in the neck area. It is claimed he had confronted a group who were taunting the travelling section about two Leeds supporters killed before a European game against Galatasaray 24 years ago.
Two people were arrested, with Norwich studying CCTV to try to identify the culprits. Though the fan’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, the incident overshadowed a tense game between two of the divisions heavyweights.
Leeds, unsuccessful in all five of their previous play-off campaigns, finished 17 points ahead of Norwich in the regular season but were pleased to leave with a draw here having won only one of their previous six matches to let automatic promotion slip. In a game of few chances, the key moment came on the half-hour when Georginio Rutter was flagged offside after being thwarted by goalkeeper Angus Gunn, with Junior Firpo tapping in the loose ball. Replays suggested it was a marginal call and the normally placid Leeds boss Daniel Farke said: ‘I am still annoyed about the offside. I recommend everyone should look at the scouting feed with the proper line. It was definitely not offside. ‘Everyone speaks about the play-offs being worth £100million or more. At this level, the decisions have to be right. I expect myself to be spot-on, the officials have to be the same if they want to be in charge of such a game.’ VAR is not used in the Championship other than in the play-off final, so there was nothing Leeds could do but curse their luck.
‘If we’d had VAR to make fair decisions all season, we would be automatically promoted, not in the play-offs,’ added Farke (right). ‘I’ve had 12 letters of apology for offsides and penalties.’ That incident apart, there was little goalmouth action. Each keeper was tested just once. United’s Illan Meslier got down well to keep out a free-kick from Borja Sainz, then Gunn blocked well at the near post from Championship player of the year Crysencio Summerville. Star man Wilfried Gnonto
was in the wars for Leeds, claiming a penalty when tugged by Gabriel Sara, wiped out by a late challenge from Dimitris Giannoulis and accidentally caught on the temple by Sainz.
The 20-year-old Italian was booked for dissent and taken off with 20 minutes left to play.
‘He had some bruises and you could sense Norwich wanted to provoke him to get him a red card,’ said Farke. ‘I wanted to protect him. We need our attacking players to be fresh for the second leg to work their magic.’ Like Farke, who was twice promoted with Norwich, Canaries manager David Wagner knows what it takes to get up to the Premier League, his success coming at Huddersfield. Jurgen Klopp’s best pal declared himself content afterwards. ‘There are no secrets between the teams, maybe that is why we were both so tactically organised,’ he said.
‘It doesn’t have to be an advantage to play the second leg at home. There are great expectations (on Leeds). I am absolutely fine with what I’ve seen.’