Phil Hay: International red tape holds up Javi Gracia move to Leeds United as update emerges
Javi Gracia will have to wait for his first press conference as Leeds United manager due to international red tape, according to The Athletic journalist Phil Hay.
Leeds confirmed on Tuesday (21 February) that Gracia, 52, has agreed terms to be the new manager at Elland Road, just over two weeks since Jesse Marsch was sacked.
However, he’s yet to receive a work permit to work in the United Kingdom, which could stop him from doing pre-match press duties ahead of Leeds versus Southampton at Elland Road on Saturday (25 February).
Hay reported via his personal Twitter account on Tuesday that while he expects Gracia to hold his first press conference this week, the former Watford manager “won’t be properly presented until the work permit application allows the appointment to become official”.
Finally
Leeds have really messed up their search for a new manager.
We’ll back Gracia fully and we honestly don’t think that he’s going to be a bad appointment for the Yorkshire club.
However, a rudderless, two-week-long, contradictory search for a new manager has cost us points in the battle against relegation from the Premier League.
Leeds tried haplessly to hire managers who were challenging for titles and major achievements elsewhere. What kind of delusion made them think that Arne Slot, for example, would leave a title challenge in the Netherlands for a Premier League relegation fight?
And then Michael Skubala was installed as interim manager for upcoming games.
But after just one game – which ended in defeat at Everton – the board changed their minds again and went in for Gracia – a man who’s been available this whole time.
We hope that these last two weeks of poor decisions don’t cost us our Premier League status.
In other Leeds United news, click here to see breaking, around-the-clock updates on Leeds’ search for a new manager in our interactive live blog.
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