Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Leeds Live
Leeds Live
Sport
Charles Gray

'It was beautiful': Fans at Elland Road on 'truly gutting' day pay tribute to unforgettable Bielsa

Leeds United fans have expressed their anger at the club's decision to sack manager Marcelo Bielsa.

Fans gathered outside of Elland Road today (Sunday) after the club announced that they had parted ways with the manager, who spent over three and a half years at the club.

LeedsLive went down to the ground to speak to some of the disgruntled fans, who waved flags and sung songs in appreciation of the Argentinian.

Follow our live blog for more updates and reaction to this developing story

One fan said she was "absolutely disgusted" by the news.

She said: "What he's done for the club and to treat him like this is disgusting. If he'd have walked away with his head held high I wouldn't have minded.

"I love that man and everyone does and no one wants anybody else. We could sign Messi tomorrow and it wouldn't make me feel any better."

Asked about his legacy, she said: "He brought everyone together. There was no infighting and no arguing like there was before. It was beautiful. He's an honourable man with morals."

The comments received a round of applause from other fans nearby, who also expressed their love for Bielsa.

Leeds fan George said: "Bielsa united fans together and no one will ever replace him."

Graham said: "He brought a breath of fresh air to the club."

Another fan said it was a “truly gutting day for Leeds”.

One fan said that he could "see it coming" and added: "I think somebody's going to be in his shadow for a few years."

One fan at Elland Road said: "I can't think of anyone who could come to Leeds at this stage and be able to do a job like what he has done."

The club confirmed this morning that Bielsa’s tenure as Leeds United head coach has come to an end after 170 matches and more than 1,300 days at the helm.

After a run of six matches without a win in the Premier League and 20 goals conceded in the last five, the Whites are 16th in the league table and edging closer to the relegation zone.

Bielsa remained convinced he could turn things around after the Spurs loss, but the Leeds board decided otherwise, with former RB Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch the heavy favourite to take over. The club said it hopes to announce a new manager on Monday.

To get the latest email updates from LeedsLive, click here.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.