Victor Orta has vowed to guide Leeds United into Europe, as he admits Aston Villa and Newcastle United are a 'step above' them in the race for European football.
Newcastle are currently flying high with just one defeat from their opening 16 games in the Premier League this term. The Magpies registered a sixth win on the spin against Leicester City on Boxing Day to continue their remarkable transformation under Eddie Howe.
Although Aston Villa have been somewhat cut adrift in the race for Europe, the appointment of Unai Emery saw a significant improvement in form prior to the World Cup.
The Villains defeated Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively in the Premier League, although they slipped to a 3-1 defeat against Liverpool on Boxing Day.
Orta insists that stability is key for the Whites, but has revealed that the long-term aim is to return Leeds to Europe for the time since 2003.
"You have to establish yourself first,” the Leeds sporting director told Spanish outlet Diario AS.
"Anything between 10th and 13th, 10th and 14th is a very good season. Getting three consecutive years in the Premier after 17 years out of it, stabilising the structure, the ideas and perhaps, little by little, moving on to more ambitious projects.
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"It is very difficult and very competitive, even outside the top-six there are rivals like Newcastle and Aston Villa that seem like a step above. Personally, I have the dream of returning this team to its place, which is to play in European competition because it has already done so, because it has done so successfully.
"It's not easy, but the fans demand it, I don't know if through a cup classification, hopefully through a league classification. But I think that immobility in football is one of the worst defects."
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