Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has given a long interview to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio on Tuesday night.
In a live chat on Instagram, the official talked about his management over the Championship side and the personal plans he has for the future.
One of quotes which has been getting most of the attention in the Italian media is where he says he’d like to take charge of a couple of Italian clubs.
“I like challenges and difficult things. I’ve evaluated Bari and Palermo very seriously. I would have done it with local partners”, Radrizzani told Gianluca DI Marzio.
“In the case of Bari it was perhaps too early, it was after my first year at Leeds and I decided to put all my energy on this club. In Palermo this summer I was interested in the opportunity but the times were tight. Right now, however, I want to go to the Premier League and I’m only thinking about this.”
Asked about bigger clubs such as Roma and Milan, the official said: “Heart and head are 100% on Leeds. Then, of course, for work I am an entrepreneur and if there were opportunities with other potential partners, even with synergies with Leeds, I would think about it. But there is nothing at the moment.”
“It was at the end of my first year here, which was tough. I’m someone who values money. I was in the car with our sports director, we were going to Leeds. I asked him: ‘Let’s make 3 names to be promoted’. Then I told him that I could pay 20 million to Conte and I’m sure we’d go up.
“But I knew that he had much higher ambitions, however I had tried in a friendly and nice way.
“My director then told me that Bielsa would be ideal but it was impossible. As soon as I heard ‘impossible’, I told him to call him. He didn’t reply, we left him a message and the next day, when we talked to him, Bielsa had already watched 8 games of the team and talked about the players, including those of the academy.
“Bielsa has an important story and to start this adventure he had to feel a strong desire. I took a flight to Buenos Aires, we talked and he already knew all the details of the training center. From there I realized that it was the right one to start a transformation in the club.
“At the end of last season there was a clarification between us, he cares a lot about what he does. This year we learned more about his methods and his way of working. This I believe and hope will lead us to the goal that we both want.”
Regarding the issues with Coronavirus, Radriazzani says Bielsa has chosen to stay in England instead of going back to South America, at least for now.
“For now he has remained in England. He didn’t ask to return to Argentina; until a few days ago everything was in operation in England. However we will talk in the coming days, I will leave him the freedom to decide whether to stay or go to the family.”
