Leeds United’s pursuit of a new manager has received a timely boost with Villarreal ruling out a swoop for the departing Rayo Vallecano boss Andoni Iraola.
Just last month, the 40-year-old former Spain international admitted that he held talks with the Yorkshire giants regarding a move to Elland Road which would have seen him replace the sacked Jesse Marsch in February.
Andoni Iraola opted to stay at Rayo instead, however; either out of loyalty to his La Liga employers, or because of the understandable concern of having a relegation at Leeds United on his CV.
But with his contract now expiring – and with Iraola confirming that he is on his way out of Vallecas – the ball now rolls back into Leeds’ court.
Do they renew their interest? In the hope that Marcelo Bielsa’s one-time Athletic Bilbao student will be tempted to follow in his mentor’s West Yorkshire footsteps?
The chance to build something new at Leeds, even after relegation back to the Championship, is one that may appeal to a man who made his name in the Spanish second-tier with CD Mirandes.
Who will become Leeds United’s new manager?
Villarreal have also been heavily linked with Iraola. One of Leeds’ biggest rivals have now removed their name from the frame, however; president Fernando Roig insisting that current incumbent Quique Setien will be sticking around in the Estadio de la Ceramica dugout for the time being.
“I think it has been a very good year,” Roig tells AS, former Barcelona and Real Betis coach Setien guiding Villarreal to a respectable fifth-place finish.
“We can finish the season remarkably high. We’ve been through a lot but we’ve finished in fifth place and playing at a very high level. We have achieved all the objectives, and that has a lot of merit”.
“We have a contract with the coach and (Setien) will continue next year.”
Leeds are in no real position to step up their pursuit of a new head coach, however; director of football Victor Orta gone and chairman Andrea Radrizzani also facing an uncertain future.
After firing Marsch, Leeds hired Javi Gracia and then Sam Allardyce on short-term deals. Neither was able to keep the club in the Premier League though. Relegation was confirmed on Sunday following a 4-1 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
‘Incredible brand of football’
Iraola, at least, could bring some semblance of excitement back to Elland Road. His high-octane, hard-running style is reminiscent, in some ways, of the football Bielsa brought with him to England.
“He’s improved this Rayo team, which is a limited team in terms of big names and quality. He improves players individually, and got them playing an incredible brand of football. So he’s a really, really strong candidate,” explains La Liga expert Phil Kitromilides.
“And you can understand why Leeds are looking at him.
“(Iraola’s style) is a sort of ‘organised chaos’. He inherited that from his mentor (Bielsa). They get the ball out wide as quickly as possible and use the two-flying full-backs and wingers. Not just getting to the by-line but cutting inside, lots of overlapping.
“It’s an aggressive, high intensity, high press kind of football. One that is really, really good to watch.”
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