Victor Orta hired Jesse Marsch at Leeds United after the sacking of Marcelo Bielsa but has now said that he interviewed a three-time League title winner before appointing Marsch.
Leeds decided to hand Marsch the reigns at Elland Road after the controversial decision to end Bielsa’s legendary spell in Yorkshire. It was hoped that Marsch’s philosophy would build on Bielsa’s foundations.
But it didn’t work even after Marsch kept Leeds in the Premier League, albeit by the skin of their teeth. Some dismal signings that summer like Rasmus Kristensen and Brenden Aaronson saw Leeds relegated.
Marsch was sacked 12 months after joining in February 2023 and Leeds were forced to roll the dice on Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce. Leeds have since been bought by The 49ers and Orta has gone to Sevilla.
Marsch managed just 11 wins in 37 games as manager and it wasn’t nearly enough. Junior Firpo recently said that working with current manager Daniel Farke is so much better than under Marsch at Elland Road.
Speaking to The Transfer Room, Orta shared how it could have gone differently. He says that he could have hired Paulo Fonseca, with the Portuguese manager looking for a new job after leaving Roma, then.
Now, Fonseca is impressing at Lille and Orta said he held an interview with Fonseca about the Leeds job.
Orta says he interviewed Paulo Fonseca for Leeds job in 2022
He said: “It was to be honest, a really good meeting. These first interviews are really good. They’re like a first date. You say your club is amazing, fans are amazing, chairman is amazing, the City is amazing.
“Easier to say in Seville than Leeds. The coach says I’m good with players, a good leader. It’s normal. Then you take an opinion from a player he trained, a director he worked with. These opinions are subjective.”
Fonseca joined Lille in the summer of 2022 and has impressed in France, taking Lille to fifth last season and this time around, his side currently sit in fourth position in the race for the Champions League.
What Fonseca said about joining Leeds to replace Bielsa
Fonseca, a three-time League title winner from his time in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk, is highly-rated in Europe. The 51-year-old is yet to work in England but is constantly linked with a move to these shores.
The Independent say that he is the leading option to replace David Moyes at The London Stadium as West Ham boss as things stand. Fonseca recalled the Leeds interview with Orta before Marsch was hired.
“It was fast. We didn’t speak too much in the day. You showed me more about the club, Leeds. The facilities, the philosophy of the club, the culture of the club. It was more about this,” Fonseca said.
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