Leeds chief admits club are ‘preparing’ for life without Marcelo Bielsa
Last Updated: February 21, 2021 2:08 pm
Leeds United chairman Andrea Radrizzani has admitted that, amid the uncertainty surrounding the future of Marcelo Bielsa, the club have been forced to take into account alternative paths forward.
Whites boss
Argentine tactician Bielsa of course represents a beloved figure in West Yorkshire.
The former Marseille and Lille boss has been on the bench at Elland Road since the summer of 2018, when he was chosen as the man to replace Paul Heckingbottom.
Bielsa has since gone on to endure a fine spell with the Whites, the crowning achievement of which of course saw him guide Leeds back to the Premier League last year, for the first time since 2004.
And the club’s showings in the top-flight, in turn, have seen them secure many an admirer, with the all-action stylings of ‘Bielsa ball’ having been on full display to this point in the campaign.
Patrick Bamford starred for Leeds as they came back from a goal down to win at Leicester.
Highlights and report ⬇️
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 31, 2021
As things stand, the Peacocks sit 12th in the Premier League table, albeit considerably closer to the division’s top-6 than the relegation zone.
‘Up to him…’
As such, it goes without saying that, given the choice, the Leeds faithful would no doubt be in favour of their side moving forward with Bielsa on the club’s bench for the foreseeable future.
If the latest comments on the part of their chairman are anything to go by, however, then such a path, at present, appears altogether uncertain.
Speaking in an interview with CBS Sports this weekend, Andrea Radrizzani first confirmed that the Whites remain keen to tie Bielsa down to a fresh contract:
‘Marcelo knows we are happy with him. If he stays, we are really delighted to continue. If the group is happy with him, I am also happy and we should continue.’
LEEDS, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 02: Leeds United fans show their support for manager Marcelo Bielsa during the Sky Bet Championship match between Leeds United and Norwich City at Elland Road on February 02, 2019 in Leeds, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
From here, though, the Leeds chief cast doubt over the Argentine’s place on the bench at Elland Road, admitting that he and the rest of the club’s board have been forced to ‘prepare’ for the possibility of Bielsa’a exit:
‘So, it’s up to him. We wait on his decision but in any case, myself and Victor have already analysed the options and what to do in case Marcelo does not want to be with us. We hope he will continue but in any case we are preparing the club.’
‘[But] I believe this team is not finished yet, [and] Marcelo as well. They need to come and enjoy Elland Road with the fans in the Premier League. It’s what he deserves as a manager, and it’s a unique experience.’
Liverpool vs Everton live streaming: Watch Premier League online
Chelsea boss Tuchel explains decision to sub Hudson-Odoi vs Southampton & confirms Tammy Abraham is not injured
This article was edited by Josh Barker.
Leeds betting odds, next game:
West Ham vs Leeds odds: result, both teams to score, correct score & goalscorers
| West Ham vs Leeds Result/Both teams score | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| West Ham | 13/5 | 3/1 |
| Leeds | 5/1 | 6/1 |
| Draw | 10/3 | 14/1 |
| West Ham vs Leeds Goalscorers | First | Last | Anytime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Bamford | 9/4 | 9/4 | 11/8 |
| Michail Antonio | 12/5 | 12/5 | 5/4 |
| Jarrod Bowen | 10/3 | 10/3 | 15/8 |
| Ademipo Odubeko | 7/2 | 7/2 | 2/1 |
| Jesse Lingard | 7/2 | 7/2 | 2/1 |
Leeds's latest videos
Leeds latest news
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 17 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 15 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 14 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 13 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 13 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 13 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 12 |
| Gundogan, Ilkay | Manchester City FC | 11 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United FC | 10 |
| Watkins, Ollie | Aston Villa FC | 10 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 9 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 9 |
| Barnes, Harvey | Leicester City FC | 9 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace FC | 9 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 9 |
| Aubameyang, Pierre-Emerick | Arsenal FC | 9 |
| Maddison, James | Leicester City FC | 8 |
| Ings, Danny | Southampton FC | 8 |
| Soucek, Tomas | West Ham United FC | 8 |
| Mahrez, Riyad | Manchester City FC | 7 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallagher, Conor | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | 8 |
| Bellerin, Hector | Arsenal FC | 0 | 8 |
| Milivojevic, Luka | Crystal Palace FC | 1 | 7 |
| Hayden, Isaac | Newcastle United FC | 0 | 8 |
| Maguire, Harry | Manchester United FC | 0 | 7 |
| Lundstram, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 6 |
| Evans, Jonny | Leicester City FC | 0 | 7 |
| Egan, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 6 |
| Bissouma, Yves | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 1 | 6 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 6 |
| Tielemans, Youri | Leicester City FC | 0 | 6 |
| Klich, Mateusz | Leeds United | 0 | 6 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 0 | 6 |
| Hojbjerg, Pierre | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 0 | 6 |
| Xhaka, Granit | Arsenal FC | 1 | 5 |
| Romeu, Oriol | Southampton FC | 0 | 6 |
| Kante, N`Golo | Chelsea FC | 0 | 6 |
| Luiz, Douglas | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 5 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 0 | 5 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 0 | 5 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 11 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 10 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 10 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City FC | 10 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 8 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 6 |
| Cresswell, Aaron | West Ham United FC | 6 |
| Digne, Lucas | Everton FC | 6 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 5 |
| Maddison, James | Leicester City FC | 5 |
| Firmino, Roberto | Liverpool FC | 5 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 5 |
| Werner, Timo | Chelsea FC | 5 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 5 |
| Neto, Pedro | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 5 |
| Robertson, Andrew | Liverpool FC | 5 |
| Willian | Arsenal FC | 5 |
| Shaw, Luke | Manchester United FC | 5 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 4 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 4 |
