It is February 2022, and Andrea Radrizzani has just made a huge call at Leeds United. The Italian owner decided to sack Marcelo Bielsa after three and a half years under the Argentine’s stewardship.
A man that had ended Leeds’ 16-year wait for Premier League football. A man that had reignited a love for Leeds United on the terraces, and a man that introduced a style of football many had not seen before.
It culminated in Bielsa taking a mid-table Championship side to ninth in the Premier League. But in his second season, Bielsa was unable to push Leeds further. His calls for investment had fallen on deaf ears.
Leeds opted to sack him and bring in Jesse Marsch, the idea being that freshening things up would give the players a new energy. Leeds stayed up that season, mostly because of the brilliance of Raphinha.
Marsch was given time; his transfer targets signed. Leeds picked up seven points from their first three games, but then went on a winless run of eight Premier League games before a trip to Anfield arrived.
Radrizzani admits he should have sacked Marsch sooner
It wasn’t just the form on the pitch. Marsch’s signings were struggling, his narrow tactics were questioned, and his press conferences were bizarre. Mentions of Mother Teresa had Leeds fans pining for Bielsa back.
Marsch got lucky, somehow beating Liverpool away and then coming from behind to beat Bournemouth at Elland Road. It saved him from the sack ahead of the World Cup, a mistake Radrizzani now admits.
Speaking to The Mail, former Leeds owner Radrizzani admits that he should have sacked Marsch during the World Cup break at the end of 2022. It would have given Leeds time to hire a new, quality manager.
“In my last year at Leeds, I made many mistakes and I was struggling outside of football too. I made wrong decisions. I should have done things sooner,” Radrizzani explained, in a long-winded interview.
“Like changing the coach [Marsch] before the 2022 World Cup, but at that moment it didn’t work out, and it is what it is. We don’t go anywhere with ifs and buts, but I still have some regrets of course,” he added.
Why Radrizzani’s delay was the catalyst for relegation in 2022-23
Marsch was retained and his targets backed in January. In came Weston McKennie, one of the biggest flops Leeds fans have had to endure in the modern era. Georginio Rutter was signed, but wasn’t ready.
Seven league games without a win after the World Cup break came and went. Marsch’s final game, a 1-0 loss to Forest, was one of Leeds’ worst performances in the Premier League in that three-year stint.
Finally, Marsch was sacked in February 2023, but Radrizzani soon realised that the managers they wanted would not join because Leeds looked destined to go down. They didn’t think there was enough time.
Leeds missed out on Unai Emery, Julen Lopetegui, Andoni Iraola, and Arne Slot, and after a three-game interim period under Michael Skubala, Javi Gracia was hired, before Sam Allardyce arrived for the last four.
Leeds went down, and that decision-making still haunts Leeds to this day. Only at the end of the 24-25 season, Leeds finally won promotion back to the top tier. Daniel Farke is looking to re-establish Leeds.
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