Leeds United fan favourite Mateusz Klich has opened up on the role that Victor Orta played in saving his career with the club when he faced the axe by Marcelo Bielsa.
Mateusz Klich joined Leeds in the summer of 2017 but struggled to establish himself in the first team during his first year with the club, having come close to joining Middlesbrough.
A costly mistake in a defeat against Cardiff saw Klich lose his place under former boss Thomas Christiansen, and the Polish international looked set to leave the club after spending the second half of the season on loan with Utrecht.
However, Klich returned to Leeds and became a firm favourite under Marcelo Bielsa, as Leeds eventually won promotion to the Premier League.
Now, Klich has revealed the important role former Sporting Director Victor Orta played in convincing Bielsa to keep him at the club when an exit appeared inevitable.
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Mateusz Klich praises former Leeds United Sporting Director
Speaking to the Foot Truck podcast, Klich opened up on the role Orta played in keeping him at the club ahead of the 2018/19 season.
Orta left a mixed legacy at Leeds, but Klich was undoubtedly one of his most successful signings. According to Klich, a conversation between Orta and Bielsa was instrumental in securing his place in the “unknowns” group in Leeds’ pre-season, as opposed to the group who would definitely be sold.
Asked if Orta has a gift for identifying players, Klich said, “I think so,” before continuing, “Victor Orta also saved me from Bielsa.
“I was in a group of unknowns, but I was supposed to be in a group to leave, and Victor convinced Bielsa to put me in this group of players who deserved a closer look.
“He stood behind me, and we still have a good relationship.”
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The game that saved Mateusz Klich’s Leeds career
With Klich staring down the barrel of leaving Elland Road, he was included in an experimental line-up for a friendly against York City, starting in defence alongside Laurens de Bock and Ronaldo Vieira.
Klich impressed in the game, hitting the crossbar with what would become a trademark strike to set up Leeds’ goal and looking assured in possession.
The Leeds Live player ratings from the game described him as “Marcelo Bielsa’s secret weapon”, and that proved to be the case, as Klich became a permanent fixture in the Leeds midfield.
Of the team that started that day, only Jamie Shackelton joined Klich as a regular in the Leeds first-team squad under Bielsa, highlighting just how close he came to leaving without Orta’s intervention.
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