Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has revealed that he held talks with Antonio Conte, Claudio Ranieri and Belgium coach Roberto Martinez for the managerial job at Elland Road before appointing Marcelo Bielsa earlier in June.
Conte was allowed to leave Chelsea as the Blues replaced him with Maurizio Sarri as the club’s new manager. The founder and chairman of Eleven Sports was even ready to offer €20m to the former Juventus and Italy coach, but he decided against taking the job.
Ranieri was allowed to leave Nantes after the end of the last season. The former Leicester City boss was flattered when Radrizzani offered him a chance to manage Leeds, but he eventually turned down the opportunity.
The English club’s owner also talked to former Everton coach Martinez, but Belgium were an obstacle in appointing Martinez as Leeds’ manager.
“Conte, with him, [promotion to the] Premier League [would have been] safe. I would have offered 20 million. Then, I had an interview with Ranieri. He was flattered by our interest, but he declined as he was waiting for a call from the national team. I also talked to Martinez, but Belgium was an obstacle,” Radrizzani told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Radrizzani also went on to reveal that it took him “10 hours of conversations” in Buenos Aires to close the deal for Biesla.
Under the new manager, Leeds United are making a great start to the season.
