Pep Clotet told Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani “weeks ago” that he wanted to quit the club, it emerged on Monday.
Leeds director of football Victor Orta explained that all of Garry Monk’s former backroom team at United will leave when their contracts expire at the end of June.
New manager Thomas Christiansen has recruited his own sidekicks to assist him on the training field and in the dugout, assistant manager Julio Banuelos, fitness coach Ivan Torres and goalkeeping coach Marcos Abad.
Leeds supporters have been vocal on social in recent weeks about Clotet, Monk’s number two last season, staying on at the club in a senior coaching role.
Indeed, many claimed he should have been appointed the new manager after Monk handed in his resignation on 25 May.
But Orta revealed that was never a realistic possibility as Spaniard Clotet had already made up his mind before the manager search got underway that he would leave Elland Road.
Speaking on the day that Christiansen was unveiled to the media, Orta said, as quoted by the Gazette: “(Thomas) arrives with his team. Pep Clotet a few weeks ago conceded this is the moment (to leave) and communicated with Andrea (Radrizzani) that he wanted a new challenge.”
“And at this moment with the situation with Garry Monk and his staff, now we’ve finished the release of his staff as Garry Monk wants to stay with his staff at his new team Middlesbrough.”
Leeds appointed former APOEL Nicosia boss Thomas Christiansen as their new manager last Thursday to end a three-week search for Monk’s successor.