Former Leeds United manager Paul Heckingbottom has revealed talks he held with the club’s director of football Victor Orta which he jokes could have led to the arrival of his replacement Marcelo Bielsa.
The ex-Barnsley boss lasted around half a year in charge of the Whites after arriving in February of 2017, the club’s poor final position seeing the Argentine boss eventually take the vacant spot in the dugout, going on to lead the side to a push for the Championship title this campaign.
Having been someone who studied foreign football, Heckingbottom was probed about his time watching Borussia Dortmund and he revealed that he had spoken to Orta about the Bilbao side of the time – then managed by Bielsa – and how impressive they were, joking that it was a conversation which led to his arrival at Elland Road.
He told the Not The Top 20 podcast: “I actually spoke to the director of football (Victor Orta) at Leeds about Bilbao and the way they played and I probably put the idea in his head. ‘Oh, let’s go get Marcelo.’”
Opinion
What a set of circumstances this would be if it were to be true. The truth of the matter is probably that Orta knew of Bielsa long before Heckingbottom had brought him up in conversation but it could well be that the mention of the revered coach might have triggered a thought process in the director of football’s mind. Either way, it is Bielsa in the dugout and the fans at Elland Road will be absolutely delighted with what they have seen from their team under the Argentine thus far. He has brought an intensity and desire to the side that was lacking for the entirety of last season. If Heckingbottom’s talks with Orta was in fact the catalyst to his arrival, then the Elland Road faithful owe him one hell of a thank you. Whether Heckingbottom himself could have instigated such a change with Leeds will remain a mystery – but there are probably very few who believe he should have been given the chance.