MX23RW : Wednesday, November 27 07:33:28| >> :120:70029:70029:

Leeds United owner: 'We need to fight every time we go on the pitch'

Leeds United owner: 'We need to fight every time we go on the pitch'
© Reuters
The club built a reputation for being physical in the 1960s and 1970s.

Andrea Radrizzani says his club thrives off the “dirty Leeds” tag.

The Championship side are on the verge of returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2004.

The club enjoyed great success under Don Revie in the 1960s and 1970s but were criticised by some for their physical approach, with their future manager Brian Clough describing them at the time as “the dirtiest, most cynical team in the league”.

The tag has stuck, but now Italian owner Radrizzani says it is one the club tries to use in a positive way.

“For Leeds, we have a history of being ‘Dirty Leeds’ and we actually channel that,” he told FIFA’s Professional Football Journal.

“We want to play great football and we are doing that but we also need to fight every time we go onto the pitch.

“All of our boys are willing to fight for the shirt every week and having that character is important to being a Leeds United player.”

Marcelo Bielsa has steered Leeds to the top of the Championship
Marcelo Bielsa has steered Leeds to the top of the Championship (Richard Sellers/PA)

Radrizzani says he was attracted by the “challenge” of improving Leeds’ fortunes when he was looking to invest in a club.

“I want to help Leeds United return to the level our history and fans deserve,” he said.

“When I came to the club, I gave myself three years to deliver that and my vision remains the same: return the club to its rightful place in the Premier League and make our fans, players and staff proud of their football team.

“We have everything to do it – a world-class coach (Marcelo Bielsa), great players and unbelievable fans – so I feel very positive.”

Radrizzani cites Brighton as the model of sustainable growth that he is looking to achieve at Leeds.

Leeds have had plans for a new community sports hub approved by Leeds City Council
Leeds have had plans for a new community sports hub approved by Leeds City Council (Mike Egerton/PA)

“Over the next five years, we will continue to build a club and infrastructure capable of succeeding in the world’s most competitive league,” he said.

“As a model, I look at clubs like Brighton and the success they’ve achieved gradually on a sustainable budget. I want to take a similar approach.

“When we come through the global pandemic, I believe we will be in a good position for the immediate future and also to build for the longer term.”

On Wednesday, the club announced that plans to build a new sports community hub on land adjacent to Elland Road have been approved by Leeds City Council.

Leeds’ ‘Parklife’ scheme on Fullerton Park, in partnership with the council and the Football Foundation, is the first step towards relocating the club’s academy from its current base at Thorp Arch.

The plans include four 3G artificial pitches, a community cafe with meeting rooms, a fitness gym and changing facilities, all available to the local community.

Leeds chief executive Angus Kinnear said: “The development in partnership with Leeds City Council and the Football Foundation will see a world-class community sports hub being delivered for the people of Beeston, Holbeck and Cottingley.

“This will be the first vital step in bringing the academy back to the heart of Leeds, creating a talent development pathway for inner-city youth, building the foundations for a better Leeds United in the long term.”

ID:404616: cacheID:404616:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:8673:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Read more about Andrea Radrizzani Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd1711422491535
2Burnley179622161533
3Sunderland1796226121433
4Leeds UnitedLeeds1695228121632
5Watford179262624229
6Middlesbrough1683529191027
7West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom176921811727
8Millwall166641914524
9Norwich CityNorwich175753125622
10Blackburn RoversBlackburn156451917222
11Bristol City175752021-122
12Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds176472026-622
13Stoke CityStoke175661920-121
14Derby CountyDerby165562020020
15Swansea CitySwansea165471414019
16Luton TownLuton165381826-818
17Coventry CityCoventry174582225-317
18Oxford UnitedOxford Utd174581927-817
19Preston North EndPreston173861624-817
20Plymouth ArgylePlymouth174581834-1617
21Cardiff CityCardiff164481524-916
22Hull City173681623-715
23Portsmouth152671628-1212
24Queens Park RangersQPR161871326-1311


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!