Leeds United‘s Jaka Bijol has expressed his disappointment over losing his place in the Premier League side’s starting lineup this season. 

The Slovenia international arrived at Elland Road from Udinese for a reported fee of €21m in June 2025. He finished his debut season at Leeds United with 31 appearances.

In August, the centre-back played the full 90 minutes in the league win over Nottingham Forest in August and started in the defeat to Brentford.

Daniel Farke replaced him after 45 minutes against the Bees. Since then, he’s made only three league appearances and that includes one start.

Leeds United player clearly unhappy 

Since the last international break, the 27-year-old played two matches for the Whites and hasn’t featured for over two weeks.

Daniel Farke changed his mind over the defender because of Tarik Muharemović’s arrival from Sassuolo in the summer. The latter has been a regular, along with summer signing Nico Elvedi. This means that Jaka Bijol has a backup role at Leeds United.

The situation with the English club hasn’t stopped him from receiving a call-up from the national team. This allowed him to speak to the Slovenian media, and 24ur.com relayed his comments.

“The situation is a bit different from last season. I’m sure I’ve shown enough this year, so I’m a bit disappointed with the whole thing. But that’s just how it is; you have to come to terms with it,” he said.

“Any footballer who isn’t playing is unhappy. That’s a fact, and I’d be lying if I said otherwise. On the other hand, I know the club is doing well. I’m happy about that too, as it’s an exceptional club with exceptional supporters who deserve good results.”

Farke’s side are ninth in the table, two points behind fifth placed Chelsea.

Bijol on Leeds United manager’s decision 

Last season, Daniel Farke didn’t utilise Jaka Bijol in the league until the end of October. He then featured regularly for the Whites before losing prominence this season.

A year ago, Matjaž Kek was in charge of the national team and had raised concerns over the player’s situation at Elland Road.

The defender talks about having the right attitude while going through a difficult period. He also highlighted Daniel Farke’s direct influence in his current situation at Leeds United.

“I, too, must have the right attitude and give my all in training. It can happen that everything changes overnight and you’re playing the next day. When that happens, you have to be ready to put in a good performance,” he added.

“In football, you really do depend a great deal on one person, but that’s just the way it is. You have to keep going and get on with the job.”

“I’ve always believed that putting in the effort in training and giving your all to your work pays off in the end. So far, that’s always been the case, and I believe it will be this time too. Keep your chin up and carry on working.”

JAKA BIJOL Leeds United · Premier League role comparison

Statistic	2025/26	2026/27*
Leeds league matches played	38	10
Appearances	25	5
Starts	21	3
Substitute appearances	4	2
Minutes played	1,891	259
Share of Leeds’ available minutes	55.3%	28.8%
Share of Leeds matches started	55.3%	30.0%
Minutes per Leeds league match	49.8	25.9
Minutes per appearance	75.6	51.8
Goals / Assists	1 / 2	0 / 0

REDUCED PLAYING TIME
Bijol’s share of available league minutes has dropped by 26.5 percentage points. He has started three of Leeds’ first 10 league matches, compared with 21 of 38 last season, and his average playing time per club league fixture has almost halved.

Premier League only. Compares the complete 2025/26 campaign with 2026/27 to date; this is not a comparison of identical numbers of fixtures. Available minutes = Leeds league matches × 90, excluding stoppage time. Figures show involvement and do not distinguish between selection decisions, injury or suspension. Minutes follow Opta Analyst data; calculated figures are rounded.
*Current season updated: 10 November 2026.

SPORT WITNESS