Chairman of Leeds United, Andrea Radrizzani, has acknowledged the need for change at the club following their relegation from the Premier League. On the same day a consortium, including Radrizzani, agreed to buy Italian side Sampdoria, he apologised to Leeds fans for the disappointing season. Radrizzani stated that he and his team had made significant investments to try and keep Leeds United in the Premier League, but admitted that mistakes had been made. He promised to learn from these mistakes and to create a clear strategy to continue their vision for the club. Radrizzani also announced that some key appointments would be made in different areas, following the departure of Director of Football Victor Orta and the appointment of Sam Allardyce as interim manager.
It is believed that a deal is in place for the owners of the San Francisco 49ers, who currently own 44% of Leeds, to complete a full sale by buying Radrizzani’s remaining shares. However, the price has to be agreed following relegation, which would inevitably impact the valuation of the club. Radrizzani bought Leeds for £45m in 2017 and Marcelo Bielsa led them to the Championship title three years later. After a top-half finish in 2020-21, Bielsa was sacked in February 2022 and both his successor, Jesse Marsch, and Javi Gracia were sacked in the second half of last season as Leeds struggled.
It was confirmed before their final game that Radrizzani’s Aser Holding Company had bought a stake in Sampdoria, who have just been relegated from Serie A. The Italian club said on Wednesday its shareholders have approved a restructuring plan which paves the way for a takeover by Radrizzani and his business partner Matteo Manfredi. However, Radrizzani’s statement suggests he intends to be involved in both clubs, rather than the Sampdoria deal being a trigger for him to leave Leeds. He concluded by saying that Leeds supporters deserved more and that he hoped they would see that they could come back stronger.