How Paul Heckingbottom felt about Andrea Radrizzani after Leeds United sacking in 2018 — Leeds United News 12/4/25
Harry Dimond
As Leeds United gear up to face Paul Heckingbottom’s Preston
North End, Leeds United fans might able to cast their minds back to his
departure from Elland Road in 2018.
Heckingbottom endured a short stint at Leeds before Marcelo
Bielsa eventually began his memorable tenure.
The Preston boss has had success stories elsewhere since his
departure, as Sheffield United fans will respect their former manager.
With Leeds needing a win vs Preston, Heckingbottom can haunt
his former employers and provide a big blow to their promotion push.
Heckingbottom enjoys watching Leeds play but made his
feelings clear when he had to leave the club back in 2018, as he sent a message
to former owner Andrea Radrizzani.
What Paul Heckingbottom thought of Andrea Radrizzani at
Leeds United
Radrizzani certainly had his way of handling things uniquely
at Leeds.
After his failed tenure with the Whites, the Italian has not
changed these ways, as Radrizzani’s Leeds stint was called ‘truly absurd’.
Heckingbottom might share the same feelings over Radrizzani,
who proved not to leave the club on a great note and certainly had an abrupt
ending with Heckingbottom as Bielsa came in as his successor.
The Preston boss took over Sheffield further down the line,
and speaking in a pre-match press conference in 2021 for the Blades’ meeting
with Bielsa’s Leeds, Heckingbottom made his feelings clear on Radrizzani.
“Of course I was frustrated. I’d be lying if I said I
wasn’t,” said Heckingbottom.
“I still speak to the ownership there, there’s no ill
feeling.
Right club, wrong time for myself, and that’s how I look at
it.”
Heckingbottom agreed with Leeds sacking in 2018
With these comments making the situation look a bit civil
after all, maybe Radrizzani just did what was best for the club.
The Preston manager was only with the Whites for four
months, proving how abrupt it really was.
With Leeds sitting in 13th and looking way off it, the
change wasn’t too much of a surprise, but this didn’t discount Heckingbottom as
a manager.
In fact, even the former Leeds boss made it clear that the
decision for him to leave was correct.
Continuing on in the presser, he said: “There were a lot of
things connected to the club had gone through a tough time and didn’t have the
energy to take it forward.
“The club did need a shake-up, without a doubt, and that’s
what it’s been given.
“Even then you saw how difficult it is, and it still took a
while to get there. Luckily for Leeds, they got there, and they want to keep
building on that.”