'I don't think he had any intention of going into football': How five-a-side futsal was the making of Leeds' stand-in boss Michael Skubala with the 40-year-old tasked with guiding the Whites to safety

Michael Skubala did not plan to coach a Premier League club. He did not even plan to coach a football team. Up until two years ago, the man tasked with steering Leeds to safety was focused on a five-a-side game played on an indoor court. Skubala's sport was futsal.

But then came the 40-year-old's sliding doors moment. At the end of 2020, the FA controversially cut their funding for futsal, forcing the England team he managed to fold. Others lost their jobs, but Skubala was kept on as a coach of the England Under-18s.