Leeds United manager news as Andrea Radrizzani makes fools of 49ers
Andrea Radrizzani seems to have made a fool out of Leeds United fans and 49ers Enterprises after he approved the managerial appointment of Andrea Pirlo at Sampdoria while the Whites hit a snag in their own pursuit.
The Italian set about a deal to buy the financially stricken club at the same time that his tenure as chairman of the Whites was ending, before a 100% sale to the 49ers was eventually agreed on 9 June.
His takeover of Sampdoria is expected to be completed in September, but according to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio [27 June], Radrizzani played a part in Pirlo’s appointment at the Serie B side despite not having completed his takeover yet.
Such a development will leave a sour taste in the Leeds fans’ mouths seeing as the Whites simply can’t announce their own managerial appointment because the Italian remains on the club books as owner, because of a key decision needed from the English Football League.
After the takeover announcement on 10 June, 49ers Enterprises have now firmly placed their attention on filling the vacant managerial hot seat, but Andrea Radrizzani still remains Leeds United owner which may well be slowing down any opportunity to announce an appointment.
And according to Hay, speaking on the Square Ball podcast at 19:19, the Whites still need a green light from the EFL to gain official approval to be under new ownership.
He said: “I think it’s likely that we may get approval or a formal completion of this in the next week.
“It certainly seems to be getting there and there don’t seem to be any obstacles.
“Once it is complete and once Radrizzani is gone and they are officially 100 per cent owners of the club then the freedom to speak on this and that becomes easier and becomes greater.”
There’s a good chance that because the takeover hasn’t gone through the official channels yet at the EFL, progress isn’t being on the managerial front which may well have come as a source of frustration to the Leeds United faithful, with pre-season set to begin in two weeks.
And it certainly seems as if the Italian businessman has made a fool of the 49ers appointing a manager for his new club while knowing the fact that he is the reason Leeds United cannot make their own official announcement.
The Elland Road faithful have been desperate for a definitive deadline and update for a long while as the club’s takeover process and the managerial merry-go-round drags on.
And the 49ers and the Leeds United hierarchy may be guilty of wasting yet another week in their Championship preparations after an update from Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth [26 June].
He wrote: “Leeds remain without a manager as they await the EFL ratification and full completion of the 49ers Enterprises takeover, but an appointment is expected to swiftly follow once the change of ownership is confirmed.
“The club hopes to be in a position to have announced both the takeover and their new boss by July 2 at the very latest.”
Sunday 2 July may sound like a definite deadline for some much-needed clarity but that may well push Leeds United further back in their preparations for the new campaign.
The Leeds United faithful may be glad to see the back of their former owner and that frustration and anger at his actions when selling the club may get even more intense after this latest development.
To head into pre-season without a manager and with eleven of their first-team stars wanting to leave is absolutely criminal and truly showcases a club not serious about a swift Premier League return ahead of their rivals.
The pressure is certainly on 49ers Enterprises, after their confirmed full takeover, to make the right choice in regards to the new boss as it could potentially have a positive or negative domino effect on how things pan out from here on in.
But any new decision on their preferred candidate has been put on the back burner because of the EFL checks and seeing Radrizzani becoming involved in Sampdoria’s managerial process when he isn’t even full owner of the club yet will come as a source of real frustration and disappointment for the American investors and most of all the Leeds United faithful.
In other Leeds United news, the club are set to react to an impending Elland Road exodus with “ambitious” incoming transfer plans.