Pep Guardiola shushed Leeds United chief Victor Orta in directors’ box last season
Victor Orta was scolded by Pep Guardiola when Leeds United played against Manchester City last season, according to Phil Hay.
Orta made the news last week for his angry altercation with a fan at the end of Leeds’ draw with Brentford at Elland Road.
Leeds’ director of football is known to be a fiery character and The Athletic journalist Hay has shared how the Spaniard has been involved in other altercations when in the directors’ box.
“He was harder to miss last season because Premier League stadiums were empty and, in the dim silence, he was audible enough for Pep Guardiola to chide him by putting his fingers to his lips,” said Hay on The Athletic website.
“So the context of last week’s quarrel between Orta and a Leeds United fan at Elland Road is that Orta is often like this. He has a directors’ box charge sheet, from awkward glances at Crystal Palace to stewards at Wolves telling him to sit down before he fell over the barrier in front of him.
Unacceptable?
We’re not saying that Orta shouldn’t behave the way he does. He’s a passionate man who loves football and clearly has grown to love Leeds United Football Club.
He’s been with us for over four years now and without him, it’s fair to say we may still be a Championship club – or worse.
Orta was a key player in us hiring Marcelo Bielsa as manager while during his time as transfer chief, he’s brought in the likes of Patrick Bamford, Raphinha, Diego Llorente, Illan Meslier, Mateusz Klich and more.
He’s had his flops – there’s no forgetting that. Orta’s first summer in charge of Andrea Radrizzani’s money at Elland Road was almost laughable but there were some diamonds in the rough in Klich and Ezgjan Alioski.
Orta’s time at Leeds has also seen his fiery personality come to the fore with the director of football regularly being hunted out by television cameras for his antics at Elland Road.
Was it unacceptable last Saturday? Or was he well within his rights to remonstrate with a fan who may have been goading him beforehand?
We won’t have a go at him as we cannot say why he acted as he did but it wasn’t a great look, in all fairness.
In other Leeds United news, Bielsa may have the new Patrick Bamford right under his nose at Thorp Arch.