Victor Orta responds to claims he influences starting XI at Leeds, opens up on role at ER

Victor Orta has denied claims that he once influenced the starting XI that Leeds United named in recent years.

The Director of football at Elland Road has not always been a popular figure but gave fans an insight into his role at the club recently.

Orta admitted that he is heavily involved with transfers, the academy and even the media image of the club - something which has been tested in the past two years with events such as Spy Gate.

The Spaniard suggested that a lack of knowledge surrounding his role led to the accusations at Leeds, something he strongly denies.

"One of the challenges in my role in England is people don't know is our duty and our tasks. In Italy and Spain, our role is more acknowledged by the people," he said at an event, via Leeds Live.

"In England is starting to be acknowledged with successful examples like Stuart Webb at Norwich City. But not a lot of years ago people think my role was even involved in the line-up, the training, the methodology of the training. That is not totally true."

The allegations first started to rise under the management of Thomas Christiansen, and we strongly believe that something like that can't have happened under Marcelo Bielsa.

Bielsa has many demands when at a club, and both Orta and Andrea Radrizzani have found that out with their work at Thorp Arch since he arrived.

The South American has a history of walking out on clubs when he isn't happy, and something like that would surely grind his gears - yet here he is.

Orta may like the spotlight with his celebrations and reactions, but it seems ludicrous that those questions could still hang over him.

In other Leeds United news, Exclusive – Paul Robinson makes claim about Leeds & Casilla