1:48
Leeds United’s managing director Angus Kinnear sheds light on how the club persuaded Marcelo Bielsa to take over as head coach in the summer of 2018.
Leeds United made headlines across the world when they appointed Marcelo Bielsa in June 2018.
This was a man with extensive experience in South American club football, who had taken Argentina to the 2002 World Cup and was widely regarded as one of the most influential managers of the last 25 years.
The club’s managing director Angus Kinnear has now shed light on the unprecedented capture of a manager held in such high regard and how he came to call Elland Road home.
Speaking on Wednesday’s edition of The Football Show, he said: “It was really the brainchild of our director of football, Victor Orta.
“He was asked by our owner, Andrea Radrizzani: “If you could appoint anybody in the world, who would he appoint?” When he said the name, I have to say I smiled to myself. But our owner is nothing if not lacking ambition.
- Leeds to rename stand after Norman Hunter
- Martin Tyler’s guide to Elland Road
“When we went to Buenos Aires to speak to Marcelo, I thought we were going to have to do a really big sell in terms of the potential, the project and what Leeds United could become and the part he could play. But, in fact, he’d done his research and he was already committed to the cause.
“We actually spent the 24 hours in Buenos Aires just talking about the players and the systems and how he wanted to play. I left knowing he was going to be the manager of Leeds but not actually having the contract that I went over with to get signed.”
A 13th-place finish in 2017/18 marked the Yorkshire club’s eighth straight Championship season with the club failing to even reach the play-offs in any season since their promotion from League One. The brief for the Argentine was clear: Get Leeds promoted back to the Premier League.
Last term the club, so dramatically, missed out on a place in the play-off final at Wembley after a 4-3 aggregate defeat to Derby, yet before the current campaign was suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, they were sat one point clear of nearest rivals West Brom at the Championship summit.
Kinnear likened the 64-year-old Bielsa to a former Premier League manager in the way that his impact has been felt throughout the club as they look to achieve their eventual target.
1:33 Leeds managing director Angus Kinnear says the club will have to radically restructure its business model if matches are played without fans for an extended period
He added: “I started my football career at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger and he had a philosophy that really touched every part of the club and Marcelo has been the same. He’s not just a coach. He’s an amazing coach and he’s brought a group of players who finished mid-table the season before he joined and it’s effectively the same group of players that are now top of the league.
“But actually his influence has extended across the club as a whole. He set new standards, he set a new philosophy and that’s really touched every part of the club.”
Watch The Football Show every weekday from 9-11am on Sky Sports News and Sky Sports Premier League and get involved using #SkyFootballShow
Sourse: skysports.com
