MOT View: Staggering Orta comment about Leeds player shows how badly managed this situation is
Victor Orta has revealed that he is “proud” of Leeds United goalkeeper Kiko Casilla for dealing with the “adversities he has suffered”.
In February, the FA hit Casilla, 33, with an eight-match ban after finding that the Spanish goalkeeper racially abused Jonathan Leko.
West Brom forward Leko was 20-years-old when he was called the N-word by Casilla when he was playing on loan at Charlton back in September.
Since the FA’s findings were made public and a lot of Leeds fans started to agree that banning Casilla was the correct course of action, there has been no apology from the club or the goalkeeper for Leko.
The Daily Mail reported earlier this month how badly managed the situation has been at Elland Road with no one coming out and holding their hands up to say they are sorry to the young Baggies attacker.
A source close to the situation at Elland Road said: “It’s disgraceful.
“You either accept the punishment and apologise, or you launch an appeal. Leeds have not appealed but they have not apologised. They can’t have it both ways. That they have still not seen fit to say sorry to Jonathan is deplorable.”
Now, Leeds’ director of football Orta has talking about the club’s Spanish players – Casilla and Pablo Hernandez – in a recent interview.
Since Casilla was banned, Illan Meslier has stepped up to play in goals and has kept two clean sheets in two matches.
While it is fair enough to have an experienced shot-stopper helping out the young Frenchman, the fact that Orta says he is “proud” of Casilla for the way he’s handled everything is staggering.
“He has had adversities and has managed to overcome [them], he has known how to feel the colours of the club and interpret what this team is,” said Orta, as quoted by LeedsLive.
“I am also very proud because, with all the adversities he has suffered, he is still mentally very strong and helping a lot.
“Even with the current situation, he is helping Meslier, the young goalkeeper, after the sanction received. The truth is I am very proud of both (Casilla and Hernandez) of them.”
Let’s re-iterate this again. Casilla was banned for racially abusing a 20-year-old lad during a game of football.
Leko is owed an apology not just from Casilla but from Leeds United Football Club itself.
The handling of this and the complete silence from the club is a joke and it is no doubt going to be a stain on what should be a brilliant season to be a Leeds supporter.
In other Leeds United news, there’s been a big update on Jean-Kevin Augustin.