Late last night, Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani responded strongly to a Daily Mail article saying that he was readying himself to walk away from the Whites.
The Mail said that it was a case of all-or-nothing for Radrizzani when it came to this season and promotion for Leeds United. Anything less, well that could see him walking away from the Whites as an unsustainable experiment.
The Mail’s article, co-written by Craig Hope and Laurie Whitwell, had as its title that Radrizzani “will consider selling the club if they fail to win promotion to the Premier League.”
An aggrieved Radrizzani fired back with the following retort, the anger clear to sense.
And who is the ones who are behind but seriously we don’t have time and energies for your mind games. We have more important daily biz to care in @ElevenSports (profitable and successful in most to the markets in 3.5 years!) and @LUFC . Good luck to sell few more papers
— Andrea Radrizzani (@andrearadri) February 25, 2019
With Leeds United fans raising their voices in support of their club’s owner, their was growing condemnation of the Mail’s article on Radrizzani’s Twitter post.
However, one of the authors of the article, Laurie Whitwell, hit back with the following retort and rebuttal of Radrizzani’s claims.
Thanks for the invite Andrea, happy to take you up on that on a date of your choosing. If you look at mine and Craig’s reporting history you will see we do not write ‘nonsense’. We have meticulously researched this article, as I’m sure you know really 👍🏻 https://t.co/yfJtcTusjD
— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) February 26, 2019
As one would expect, Leeds United fans did seize on Whitwell’s response, and they have commented and relayed what they think of his article. There’s been much pointed focus around the words ‘nonsense’ and ‘meticulously researched’.
Mail reporter’s retort over Leeds United owner rebuttal – miasma or something of substance?
It’s a difficult one to really gauge is this one. The Mail’s Hope and Whitwell will always cover up the identity of their ‘source’, Leeds United fans will always deny the existence of the ‘source’. In that way, what you have is a double-edged sword that is blunted both sides and stabs ineffectively neither way.
Whilst Andrea Radrizzani does hit back at the original article and its claims that he is willing to sell Leeds on if promotion doesn’t materialise, he doesn’t dispute other more specific claims the article makes.
These claims are that Marcelo Bielsa, the architect of all that is good at Elland Road this season, will walk away if promotion isn’t achieved. He doesn’t bat down suggestions that extensions to player deals are not being proffered due to the need for promotion. Nor does he extinguish the claims of a fire sale of prime playing assets.
What Radrizzani does respond to is one of the basis of the claims, that his Eleven Sport UK business is facing an uncertain future. What the Mail have conflated these documented struggles to is Leeds’ unwillingness to go big in the January transfer window, saying “it was evident in January that Leeds were reluctant to commit large fees for new signings.”
In truth, well, no-one really knows what the situation is like at Leeds United other than Andrea Radrizzani, Angus Kinnear and a small number of others of the Whites inner circle. In that respect, it’s likely better to take a backward step and look at the bigger picture from that perspective.
