Leeds United knew from the very first minute that Marcelo Bielsa was the type of combustable, unpredictable character who needed to be handled with care.
This was, after all, a man who had stormed out of Lazio after just two days a couple of years before arriving at Elland Road, frustrated by the club’s transfer plans and unwilling to give the Serie A giants even a week to win him over.
So when Leeds United sold Ronaldo Vieira to Sampdoria for a reported £7 million – just weeks after Marcelo Bielsa was finally convinced to join the ambitious Championship club – chairman Andrea Radrizzani resembled a man attempting to run an obstacle course while keeping the dynamite in his pockets from turning Elland Road into a bloody, burning mess.
“Marcelo understands. Of course he’s not happy. He wished to have all his best players – but he understands,” Radrizzani said at the time, having successfully lured Bielsa to Leeds Umited against all odds.
“Marcelo was clear to me and I agree this was not best time to sell Ronaldo. His value next year could have been double this or even higher. Unfortunately, to sustain a club in this league, we need to sell one or two players each year.
“The sacrifice was very hard for me to do because he’s a great player. He was one of best players to come from our youth [team] but I cannot put the club in danger in the future.
“We thought it would be a sacrifice we could take, and still maintain the team and invest where we need more.”
Ronaldo Vieira left Leeds United for Sampdoria struggle
When you consider the magic Bielsa would weave with the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Gianni Alioski, Luke Ayling, Stuart Dallas and Patrick Bamford – to name but five – it is obviously tempting to wonder what would have become of Ronaldo Vieira had Leeds not been forced to cash in to keep their finances in the black.
Seven years on, Leeds’ 2017 Young Player of the Year remains in Italy to this day.
Yet, having joined a club used to life in the relative comfort of mid-table in Serie A, a man with arguably the greatest name in football could not have imagined the drama that would unfold at Sampdoria.
Ronaldo Vieira – older brother of Romario Vieira no less – saw Sampdoria fall into financial ruin and, eventually, Serie B. If the Blucerchiati thought they had already hit rock bottom, it turns out that there are further depths to be explored.
With only ten games remaining, Sampdoria are hovering nervously above the relegation zone in Italy’s second tier. Sampdoria have never before fallen as far as Serie C. But, as things stand, only three points separate themselves from Frosinone in 18th place.
Former Elland Road starlet is facing another relegation
As for Vieira, a number of attempted escapes have fallen flat.
He joined both Hellas Verona and Torino on loan with an option-to-buy clause in his contract at each club. Clauses that would go un-triggered after Vieira made a combined seven appearances during spells in Verona and Turin.
Things were looking up again for Sampdoria when the aforementioned Andrea Radrizzani rode in on a white horse and saved the club from bankruptcy before hiring Italy legend Andrea Pirlo as their head coach in 2023.
Nearly two years on, Pirlo is long gone while Radrizzani’s early impact has given way to yet more concern and confusion.
Vieira, meanwhile, has contributed a grand total of three Serie B starts across the entire campaign due to injury and suspension amid reports suggesting that a move to second-tier rivals Pisa may be on the cards.
Bielsa was ‘not happy’ when Ronaldo Vieira left Leeds. In hindsight, he should not have been the only one.
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