Jesse Marsch pushed Leeds United to sign Juventus’ Weston McKennie on loan and was sacked today, just a week after the midfielder’s arrival.
The former RB Leipzig coach strongly believed in the qualities and potential of the 24-year-old, calling him ‘the perfect guy’ for the Premier League side. McKennie made his Leeds debut in their 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, playing 33 minutes after coming off the bench.
As announced today, Marsch has been dismissed by Leeds following a poor run in the Premier League, picking up just four wins in 20 league outings. The team’s last league victory came in November, when they beat fellow relegation candidates Bournemouth 4-2.
It’s an unfortunate situation for McKennie, who was a fan of the American contingent at the team. He underlined this after his arrival, telling the media that “there’s a big American support here, it’s easier, playing with some of the guys of the national team, it was an easy decision.”
Marsch’s dismissal will also come as disappointing news for Italian teenager Wilfried Gnonto, who has featured regularly for Leeds after breaking into the first team in October. A kind interaction between the 19-year-old and the American coach went viral soon after his arrival in the summer, an early sign of their positive relationship.