Radrizzani could be in hot water with 49ers over Leeds stance on European Super League
Leeds United vice-chairman Paraag Marathe has been very silent on the issue of the European Super League – especially in comparison to Andrea Radrizzani.
Leeds’ chairman has not been afraid to share his views on the formation of the ESL, taking to his Twitter account regularly over the past couple of days to share his apathy.
Radz has hailed James Corden and Luis Figo for their anti-ESL stances while also saying the proposed league will “kill dreams of clubs, players and fans”.
Leeds talked the talk on Monday night too as they protested the European Super League ahead of their 1-1 draw against founders Liverpool at Elland Road.
Supporters also made their way to the stadium to protest, in a clear show of solidarity between the club, the players and the fans.
However, Radrizzani’s war against the ESL might not be going down too well with Marathe, who owns a 37 per cent stake in Leeds United Football Club.
The San Francisco 49ers pumped more cash into Leeds back in January to increase their holding at the Yorkshire club, giving the Whites a joint Italian-American ownership.
But it’s the American owners who appear to be pushing most for the formation of the European Super League.
Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal – half of the English clubs in the ESL – are owned by Americans, who clearly have differing views on how the game should be run in Europe to what the ‘natives’ do.
According to Kaveh Solhekol of Sky Sports, the North American owners cannot even grasp to concept of relegation and promotions, which doesn’t happen in the MLS and other American sports.
“Several of these American owners, we are being told, still cannot understand why we have relegation in English football,” said Solhekol, as quoted by the Sun.
Leeds have a very official link-up with one of the NFL’s biggest franchises in the San Francisco 49ers and they are bound to hold values closer to that of the Glazers and Henrys of the world than they are to Radrizzani.
It’s been dubbed a “nuclear war” between the European elite’s owners and the rest of European football.
Let’s hope it’s not a civil war at Leeds that ends with the club losing a valuable stakeholder.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has detailed the chances of Kalvin Phillips being scooped up by an ESL side.