Everything Leeds United chair Paraag Marathe said on Red Bull, Elland Road, title glory and Nick Hammond exit — YEP 4/5/25
By Graham Smyth
Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe has spoken at length
after the club’s promotion as Championship champions.
Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe says Red Bull's role
and partnership with 49ers Enterprises will remain the same after promotion to
the Premier League.
Marathe held court with the local press on a Zoom call just
24 hours after carrying the Championship trophy out onto Plymouth Argyle's
pitch so it could be presented to Ethan Ampadu and the players.
During the call Marathe went on record to back Daniel Farke
to lead the Whites into the Premier League and touched briefly on a range of
topics including the need to 'nail' recruitment this summer. Marathe also said
the following:
Title success and celebrations
"I just want to say how proud I am of the club, for the
players, for Daniel and the coaches, just the all the staff. It's just such an
incredible achievement.
“What is it, 100 points has been achieved, seven times in
the history of the league? And our highest point total ever coming off last
season, when we were the first club with 90 points not to be promoted.
“With those damn exit clauses, we lose three of our best
players, and here we are, 10 points better than last season. It's just a
incredible achievement.
“You know, I felt like the cosmos was talking to me four
days ago after Bristol [City] and on Sky - I didn't know Sky did this - they did
a little one-hour broadcast, one hour condensed version of the Wembley final
last season. I'd never watched it before. I'd never watched any replay. And I
felt like God was torturing me watching that.
“And then I realised, I mean I'm going real with you guys,
that I think he was showing me that for a reason, to remind me that as
difficult as everything has been, and as long and arduous and challenging the
last two years has been, it makes this journey that much more rewarding and to
appreciate the moment that we're in. Which is why I tried to do my best last
night doing that.
“But it's just so special for me. The best thing is that we
uplifted a whole community, of this whole city, of this whole area. You could
just feel it. I wish I could have seen it this morning, but at least I was
there this afternoon when I walked outside for coffee, and already the city is
buzzing. It's just such a special feeling. I'm just trying to enjoy every
moment of it that I can."
Summer spending
"Like I said, we're going to spend every penny that we
can, that we're allowed to spend and reinvest everything back into the club. So
whatever that PSR limit tells us we can go to, we're going to go to."
On leadership restructure and loss of Nick Hammond, Angus
Kinnear
"Let me clarify one thing. Nick was great, and as is
Angus, who I'm sad to see leave now he crosses enemy lines. Hopefully we shut
off his card key access now, but I love the guy.
“But it wasn't Nick doing everything in a vacuum last
season. So that's a little bit of a misnomer to characterise it that way. I
know you didn't mean to, but it was always it was a team effort, and it's going
to continue to be a team effort, and probably even more so this season, because
we are going to go from being the big fish in a little pond to a little fish in
a big pond.
“And so we need to fight together and work together. And so
all of us, those you mentioned, together, with Daniel and myself, we're going
to work together to make the best decisions for the club that we can."
On Elland Road redevelopment
"I think we're going to make some announcements coming
over time that you'll see. It's going to take a little bit of time, because
we're trying to do it without compromising seats for matches. So we are going
to be focused on summers and international breaks and things like that.
There'll be some minimal disruption in different places and lounges and things
like that, where we have to put in structural pillars, but for the most part
it'll be with minimal seat reduction or anything during during matches."
On Red Bull presence
"They're going to be the same great presence that they
have been. The partnership is unchanged. Other than the fact that it's a
different kind of deal now that we're in the Prem. But other than that, they're
going to continue to be great partners in the same way that they have
been."
"I didn't know how I would feel. I didn't know what the
moment would bring and it brought tears. And it was just raw emotion. It was
special for me."