Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani reveals he tried to sign Antonio Conte before Marcelo Bielsa, then admits he’s ‘interested’ in investing in Inter or Milan.
The Italian is a success story in the Premier League, having taken Leeds to promotion and they are now comfortably in ninth place.
They are also great entertainers with Bielsa at the helm, although he was not their first choice as coach.
Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani reveals he tried to sign Antonio Conte before Marcelo Bielsa, then admits he’s ‘interested’ in investing in Inter or Milan.
The Italian is a success story in the Premier League, having taken Leeds to promotion and they are now comfortably in ninth place.
They are also great entertainers with Bielsa at the helm, although he was not their first choice as coach.
“I got to Bielsa via a first year full of mistakes and focusing on young coaches. The Championship is a tournament where a top level tactician makes all the difference in the world,” Radrizzani told La Repubblica newspaper.
“I had first tried to tempt Antonio Conte with a promotion bonus worth 20m. When you step up into the Premier League, you get 200m, so I could afford it, but he had more immediate ambitions. The way things have gone prove he was right to go for Inter.”
The Leeds supremo assures both club and Bielsa “want to continue together” next season too, revealing during initial negotiations that the coach had watched a dozen games and even got hold of the blueprint for the training ground.
“I knew he’d done the same thing years ago when he was contacted by Roma, but I was still left open-mouthed. He’s very good at getting paid, don’t you worry about that! His salary is the third or fourth highest in the Premier League, but he deserves the money for transforming the culture of a club and increasing its value.”
Radrizzani has repeatedly been linked with the takeover of Serie A clubs too and admits he is aiming high.
“I am looking to Italy, or another European country, and this time I’d like a big club. There was nothing with Inter or Milan, if that’s what you want to know, but there is certainly an interest. We’ll see how Suning’s plans evolve.
“On the other side of the city, Elliott have improved the way Milan are run, but as they have said, sooner or later they will sell.
“There are three clubs in Europe who have huge opportunities for development: the two Milanese sides and Atletico Madrid.
“For now, we’ll keep an eye on it and enjoy Leeds.”