Leeds United has issued an unreserved apology following the decision by German authorities to prevent their fans from attending pre-season matches in the country. The club is set to embark on an eight-day training camp in Germany as part of their preparations for the upcoming Premier League season.

Daniel Farke's team had a similar experience last summer when they were advised by local police and authorities not to bring supporters due to the extensive resources required for Euro 2024. Despite receiving written assurances from the German Football Association and their tour operator that fans could attend this year, Leeds has now been informed that this will not be possible.

In a statement, Leeds expressed their frustration: "Despite having matches agreed upon for several months, we have recently been informed that the police and local authorities will not grant a permit for us to play matches in front of spectators. They have also prohibited us from providing live updates and video streams and have requested that we discourage supporter travel."

The club added, "We have made multiple attempts to find a solution, including offering various assurances, pursuing alternative scenarios that would allow for fan attendance, and even considering moving the camp to a different location on short notice. Unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful due to the last-minute nature of our change in circumstances."

The Leeds United Supporters Trust has also voiced their concerns, stating that the club has not received "any sensible explanation" for the decision and plans to contact the German authorities for clarification. "We respect the club and Daniel Farke's desire to maintain a successful training camp in Germany, but we expect a valid reason from the authorities as to why Leeds United fans are being unduly excluded," the group said.

Leeds fans will still have the opportunity to attend pre-season friendlies against Manchester United in Stockholm and AC Milan in Dublin next month, as well as a home match against Villarreal on August 2. The team will kick off their Premier League campaign at home against Everton on August 18.