The former Whites midfielder paid a visit to Elland Road in April, with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s Queens Park Rangers the visitors.
Bruno Ribeiro has told the Guardian how a visit to Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium in April this year left him feeling sad.
Ribeiro, who spent two seasons with Leeds as a player, made a permanent return to English football this summer as manager of Port Vale.
Before then, he had spent two months taking in football matches across the country – one of which included the Whites’ home fixture against Queens Park Rangers.
With friend and ex-Leeds teammate Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in charge of the opposition, Ribeiro’s selection made perfect sense.
Only Elland Road was far from how the Portuguese remembered it.
“Just 17,000 people in there,” Ribeiro recalled to the Guardian. “For that club, a massive club … pffff … I just feel sad.
“Jimmy and I were talking afterwards, remembering how the supporters loved us at that time, how nearly 40,000 would come every week and make such an amazing atmosphere.
“To go there now and see how things are – it’s very difficult.”
A lost has changed since that 1-1 draw, however, with Leeds rejuvenated under Garry Monk, who replaced Steve Evans as manager in June.
The Whites are currently enjoying a good run of form and sit four points off the play-offs in 11th place, with average home attendances of more than 24,000.
If Ribeiro continues the way he has been at Vale Park – home to League One’s sixth best side at present – he may just find himself in Elland Road’s opposition dugout next season.
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