LONDON: Leeds United on Sunday sacked manager Marcelo Bielsa following a poor run of results that has left the Premier League side teetering just two points above the relegation zone.
Saturday’s dispiriting 4-0 loss to Tottenham at Elland Road was their fourth straight defeat, a run during which their leaky defense has conceded 17 goals.
The 66-year-old Argentine remained convinced he could turn things around but the Leeds board decided they had to act to preserve their top-flight status.
The club intends to make an announcement regarding Bielsa’s successor on Monday, with former RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch the heavy favorite to take over.
Chairman Andrea Radrizzani said he was forced to act due to the club’s “precarious position” in the Premier League, saying it had been the toughest decision of his tenure at Leeds.
“With Marcelo as our head coach, we had three incredible campaigns and the good times returned to Elland Road,” he said. “He changed the culture of the club and brought a winning mentality to us all.
“The moments created, particularly in the 2019/20 season and winning promotion to the Premier League, will, of course, live long in all our memories, [I] and the fans included.
“However, I have to act in the best interest of the club and I believe a change is required now in order to secure our Premier League status.”
Bielsa, who took charge in 2018 and returned the club to the English top-flight two years later, is revered in Leeds.
Murals of the mercurial Argentine adorn walls around the northern city and the club’s Elland Road stadium.
