Leeds United now make move for Marcelo Gallardo, he has responded already
Leeds United have now made an official move to appoint Marcelo Gallardo as their next manager, according to journalist Bruno Pont.
The ABC TV journalist has shared on Twitter (9 February) that the 47-year-old manager will take time to give his final response, although he has given his initial response already.
TYC Sports report that Andrea Radrizzani made the formal offer to Gallardo, but the former River Plate manager doesn’t want to rush to make a decision as yet, as he feels the language barrier is a major stumbling block to working properly in England.
Gallardo doesn’t speak English, and he feels the need to learn the language first to establish a strong bond with the players, as well as to give instructions in training.
D sports Radio reported on 9 February that Gallardo is among the three-man shortlist of candidates to replace Jesse Marsch at Leeds, the other two being Andoni Iraola and Arne Slot.
“Leeds United go for Marcelo Gallardo. The coach will take time to respond to the proposal,” wrote Pont on Twitter.
Interesting
The Whites should take time to appoint their next manager, but they need to get it right.
Gallardo is an experienced manager who is admired by Victor Orta and Radrizzani. The language can be a big hindrance here, and Gallardo may refuse to move to the Premier League as a result.
Marcelo Bielsa used a translator throughout his time at the club, but the Argentine knew some English. He wasn’t fluent in that language but he could converse with players in training.
Now, Gallardo doesn’t speak English at all. While it won’t be a big problem dealing with press conferences, getting the message properly to his players is key.
The Whites have made a move though to bring Iraola to Elland Road, but the move is at a standstill despite Orta flying to Spain to secure his exit, according to Phil Hay [9 February].
Slot is another option for the Whites, but Feyenoord have not received any offer from Leeds as yet. Gallardo could emerge as a strong candidate in the next few days to become the next manager at Leeds if he feels he can overcome the linguistic barrier.
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