'Football is a game for the supporters' - Mateusz Klich focusing on Leeds United silver lining as fans remain locked out

This week’s updated Covid restrictions from the government brought a ‘pause’ for the plans to start bringing supporters back to sporting events in October. Klich has now played nine Championship games, earned promotion, won a title and scored in two Premier League thrillers behind closed doors, far removed from his adoring public.

The Polish international has started the new season brilliantly, appearing right at home against top-level competition, defending and attacking with a quality that makes him a rare breed, in Marcelo Bielsa’s estimation.

Off the pitch, he is known for saying what he thinks and rarely falls back on the safe set of cliches trotted out by many of his peers on a weekly basis but, when it comes to a global pandemic and the absence of fans, there isn’t much he can say.

The situation Leeds and football find themselves in dwells in the realm of things he cannot control or change. So he’s making the best of it.

“We can’t do anything about it,” he said.

“It’s hard times for everyone, not only for us, and I am very grateful that we can play at all. I just can’t wait for when they come back to the stadium.

“So far we play without them but I am quite sure there are a lot of people watching on the TV.”

Watching Leeds on the television is a poor second place to witnessing their football live, particularly when their first two top-flight fixtures boasted 4-3 scorelines and penalties galore, but no matter where Whites are sitting – if even they can sit down – they’re living on the edge of their seats.

They ran Jurgen Klopp’s champions close to a draw, succumbing to a Mo Salah penalty in the very final minutes at Anfield, then raced into a 4-1 lead in the second half at home to Fulham before allowing the Cottagers to make life a lot more uncomfortable with two sloppy goals.

Klich knows full well that Leeds fans don’t want to watch goalless draws - “When I watch football I don’t want to watch games that are nil-nil” - but for his own sanity he would like Leeds to take the tension out of games.

“It’s a dangerous one [being known as entertainers],” he said.

“Obviously fans want to see attractive, offensive football on the TV but I would rather save my nerves and win the games more comfortably.”

Football is a game for the supporters, a game for the fans and I hope they like it.”