Mateusz Klich takes aim at ex-Leeds United boss Jesse…

Mateusz Klich takes aim at ex-Leeds United boss Jesse March as he admits 'anger' at exit

Mateusz Klich has slammed former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch after the American severely reduced his role at the club, a decision that cumulated the midfielder's early departure to MLS outfit DC United.

Klich arrived at Elland Road in 2017, and despite being sent out on loan just six months later, would eventually establish himself as a modern-day great.

The Polish international made 195 appearances for Leeds and was pivotal in helping the Whites complete a long-awaited Premier League return under Marcelo Bielsa. His distinct ability to score from range, particularly, made him a fan favourite amongst supporters.

However, Bielsa's sacking and the arrival of Marsch in February of 2022 triggered a reduction in game time for Klich. The additions of Tyler Adams, Brendan Aaronson and Marc Roca last summer meant he only featured sparsely up until departing in January.

Despite admitting that he always planned to leave Leeds upon the expiry of his contract in 2024 and was content to play a bit-part role this season, Klich grew extremely frustrated at being consistently overlooked by the former RB Leipzig chief who was sacked last month.

He told WP SportoweFakty: “I wanted to finish my contract at Leeds and leave in one and a half years.

"Before the season, I knew that I would not be a starting player and I would be coming from the bench. I had a loan offer from the Netherlands, but I decided that it was okay.

"I agreed to the role and was curious myself how I would handle it. I like to play football and I want to do it as often as possible.

“For the first few games it still looked good, I felt OK. After that, we started to play very poorly and I think I should have had a few chances from the first minute of the game. However, I didn’t get any, which I was angry about.

“I saw that the coach was messing with the squad, throwing other players in different positions, and not taking me into account at all, although, for example, in the previous match I played well. Eventually, I started to get nervous. It was pure ambition.”

While his sentiments towards Marsch are not overwhelmingly positive, Klich, who was director of football Victor Orta's first signing, did speak glowingly of the United hierarchy after they permitted his departure despite an element of uncertainty.

He added: “The club has been great. Nobody wanted me to leave, but they understood my decision. Anyway, I wasn’t 100% convinced that I was doing the right thing either."

READ NEXT:

Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here