'No, no, no' - Andrea Radrizzani on his Leeds United reign, exit feeling and legend's advice - YEP 18/7/23
Andrea Radrizzani’s Leeds United tenure is over and the Italian has now reflected on his six years at the club, Whites exit and a footballing legend’s initial advice.
By Lee Sobot
Leeds announced on June 9 that an agreement had been reached
between majority owner Radrizzani’s Aser Ventures and 49ers Enterprises for the
purchase of the club. Six weeks later, the EFL finally approved the Whites
takeover late on Monday night which has left Leeds with new owners and
Radrizzani’s time at Elland Road officially over after six years at the helm.
The Italian first arrived at Leeds in January 2017 with a 50
per cent investment of the club, becoming co-owner alongside Massimo Cellino.
Radrizzani then completed a 100 per cent buy out the following month and Leeds
were promoted back to the Premier League three years later as Championship
champions under Marcelo Bielsa.
The Whites are ultimately now back in the Championship
following last season’s relegation and Radrizzani admits there is “bitter”
feeling upon departing the club when they are back in the country’s second
tier.
Radrizzani, though, says he leaves the club in a better
state than when he first arrived and has no regrets upon taking up Kenny
Dalglish’s initial advice to get involved with the Whites.
Speaking an in interview with Sky Sports, Radrizzani was
asked how he looked back at his time with Leeds and reasoned: “A very sweet
time in my life. Unfortunately it ended not in the way I wished. But I bring
with me a lot of nice memories and good friendships I built and a great time in
my Yorkshire experience. I love Leeds and it was a unique experience in my
life.
"Obviously the best was to win the Championship with
Marcelo and get promoted. That's the reason why I was in Leeds. That was the
scoop of the job for me. It's bitter now to know that the club is back in the
Championship but in my six years I achieved what I wanted so for me that was
the best and the peak of this period."
Reflecting on how it felt to be leaving the club in such
circumstances following relegation, Radrizzani admitted: “It's sad because I
worked very hard for six years. I took risks, I invested a lot of money, I
trust from the club.
"If you look at the numbers bought the club and they
were making £36m revenue in the Championship. After three years we were £60m
revenue and now £210m so the numbers show the transformation of the club.
"But also if you are in Leeds you can see the
transformation in the way the city has engaged with the club. Football is a
great platform and we brought back Premier League, life and energy to the city
for football.
"We did a lot of solidarity and this is very important
for the community as well and we also invested a lot in infrastructure -
facilities, training ground, stadium lounges so overall not only great memories
but I'm pretty sure we have left a solid modern club compared to what I found
when I arrived."
Asked about Liverpool legend Dalgish’s early advice and if
he ever wished he had not listened to him, Radrizanni smiled: “No, no no. It
was the best most dangerous advice I ever listened to."