Leeds United Q&A: Former owner Andrea Radrizzani on a heavy exit and why she believes the club can enter Europe

Former owner and chairman Leeds United Andrea Radrizzani discusses her difficult exit from the club and why she believes that current owners can take Leeds to Europe …

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News The older reporter Tim Thornton in Milan, Radrizzani, who sold his control stake at the club 2023 to 49ers Enterprises, also explains why Elland Road’s remodeling is crucial to the future and how Leeds United will always have a special place in his heart.

Andrea, two years since your departure from Leeds United, how satisfied are you to see them in the Premier League?

I’m very happy. As a fan of Leeds, as a former president, I am very, very glad that fans finally come back to where they belong, the Premier League. For me, this is a big edition because, honestly, I had a very traumatic and difficult way out and finally I feel that fate has now adjusted everything and that I can return to Leeds soon.

You mentioned a difficult and traumatic output, but, as a whole, there were a lot of positive changes during your stay in Leeds.

Yes, I think, I personally feel that I worked for six years in Leeds, five years and a half of which went very well. I turned a club that was in a, I wouldn’t say a disaster, but he didn’t hope for an ambitious time in the Premier League.

It was the middle table in the championship and we did a great job, especially with the appointment of Marcel Biels and the player. We did a great job to achieve the Premier League, hold the category of three seasons, and also outside the field, I think we renovated the stadium, re -hired the city and the community with the club, so we did a lot of good things.

But, unfortunately, for the last six months, I think for various reasons I have lost my daily activity with the club, I have lost control of the club. Also, for other personal reasons, I moved to Milan and all this, as a consequence, returned the club to the championship and it was a very traumatic and difficult period of my life, professionally and personally, so I am very pleased that things have returned where they should be.

Do you still talk to Parag Marathe and the owner’s group?

I usually talk to him several times every month and stay in touch during the season, comment on Leeds, comment on other football trends, but especially Leeds and recently talked this week when he was in Leeds. But he was also busy in the Rangers who were looking for new opportunities, so I very often in contact with them.

How difficult will it be for Leeds – that championship jump back to the Premier League – because you did it to success in that first season under Marcel Biels when Leeds finished ninth?

Yes, you see that the gap between the Premier League clubs and the newly produced clubs has been getting bigger and bigger, in the last two seasons, basically, all clubs promoted have been refused to championship. So, it shows that the category is the second level, it requires investment, a new project is needed, a football crossing is needed. In some cases, the revolution in the team, and sometimes when you do the right employment, it can function very well and other times not.

In a transition with Biess to Jesse Marsch, we changed, I remember selling two players, we bought seven and unfortunately, employment was not successful for maintaining a category. The same as when you come from the Premier League Championship, the challenge is very big.

So, the employment you consider to be key to achieving the success of this transition?

Absolutely, yes, and in our case, I think the mistake I probably did and we did with the administration that we did not hire enough players with the mature and experience in the Premier League, but we bet high quality players, but without experience in the Premier League.

So, we brought a lot of players from Austria or Germany or other countries with absolutely zero minutes in English football and I think it’s a big gap.

What would you look like to success for Leeds United in the Premier League? It’s about long -term stability and are you trying to stay for the first year now?

Look, I think it was always a plan, unfortunately, the plan was interrupted for several years.

But the plan was to build a club, bring it back to the Premier League, build it and leave it with strong ownership and good management to transfer it to the next level. I think the Parag and the guys who supported him and a new management and administration that will come to have credibility and experience, and the knowledge to take it to the next level.

So, I think they have resources, they have the capacity and knowledge to take over the club where it deserves. The new stadium will help; It’s already planned. I think the project is still the same, as discussed for four or five years together with Paraga and a group because we were already partners.

Unfortunately, it has been delayed for several years, and I have been paying the consequences of this delay, but now I can return the route and direction to return Leeds as a middle top club, I hope that one day in Europe and back to Europe. I actually wished Paragua to say this week, saying that his goal should be back to Leeds in Europe because it is the possibility he has.

Is that realistic?

Not immediately, but why not? I think Leeds has to dream of old times and new ownership can do so, I can deliver safe. I know very well and they will make gradual growth, and they will make the right choice to take Leeds in that place.

And you have already touched that, but the remodeling of the stadium, you were strongly involved in the early stages of this, how is it crucial?

Important, because it brings new revenues, a new opportunity, modernizes the club, gives a great impetus. I remember when we were in the Premier League two years ago, we had three and a half times the ticket requirements of Elland Road capacity, so it won’t be a problem for Elland Road to fill in every game, that’s not a problem at all.

Do you miss a special atmosphere at Elland Road?

Yes, look, I have goosebumps just thinking about it.

It was an amazing period of my life, in the end I made some mistakes, but I always try to be original in my management and of course it was a job for me, a project.

But I became Leeds’s fan, my family, my brother, my nephew, my son also supports Leeds. They don’t have a team in Italy, they suffer every weekend when Leeds plays and we can’t wait to go back to the stadium. So this is now in our blood and we continue with that.

Raphinha, one of the players you signed, is again extremely successful this season and in the Champions League semi -finals. How satisfied are you to see him doing so well?

It is a great pride that the club has the opportunity to have a player like Raphinh.

I think Marcelo Biels and Leeds have contributed to his success, because playing in the Premier League has definitely helped him, but a great credit for him.

But I think that and in the sense of leadership, I saw him grow dramatically, helps teammates, he is a leader on the field, he became a Barcelona captain, so that, I think, means a lot to his personal growth.

What is clear that you have a great passion for football, so we could see you in the game at some point?

We’ll see. When I interrupted Leeds, I had an instinctive reaction that I wanted to help Sampdoria, that it was in difficulty and saved the club from bankruptcy. But after a few months, I realized that I was mentally not in a good space to take over the great obligation as football demands, because football is not a typical job, it is a social job so that you have a huge impact with people, with the community, so you have to take it seriously and be present.

And when I realized that I was mentally ready for it, I called myself, so now I rest, but I get better, now I’m in good shape, I get strong again and look at some opportunities. Maybe soon, let’s see.

And are you looking forward to watching Leeds in the Premier League?

Yes, definitely, it is in my heart, and it will be difficult for me to look at another club in England. But I’m a big fan and I can’t wait to go back to the stadium.