Leeds replaced Thomas Christiansen with Paul Heckingbottom earlier this month.
Former Real Madrid midfielder Victor Sanchez has told major Spanish newspaper AS that he was contacted by Leeds United following the sacking of Thomas Christiansen – but would he have been a better option than Paul Heckingbottom?
The 41-year-old, who was sacked by Real Betis in November 2016 and replaced by now-Bordeaux boss and former Leeds assistant Gus Poyet, claimed Leeds had spoken to him on becoming Christiansen’s successor.
However, Leeds decided to hire Heckingbottom from Yorkshire rivals Barnsley, with the 40-year-old seeing his newly-inherited side lose 2-1 to Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon.
Heckingbottom has little experience in the world of football management, coming up the ranks at Oakwell before managing the club since 2016. He took the Tykes to promotion from League One, and away from relegation last season.
However, he has little experience in dealing with foreign talent and a squad geared to play a passing game, which has been moulded by Christiansen along with director of football Victor Orta.
Under Sanchez, Leeds players Samu Saiz and Pablo Hernandez would surely have played to the best of their ability if their fellow countryman Sanchez had joined the Spaniard at Elland Road.
Boasting much more experience from his time as Betis, Deportivo and Olympiakos as manager, as well as being assistant boss at Getafe, Sevilla and Olympiakos, Sanchez has a world of knowledge and experience to his name.
But he also boasts a winning mentality and the calibre that would have both excited Leeds fans, and asserted authority within the dressing room at Elland Road.
A La Liga title with Real Madrid and Deportivo in the 90’s, as well as a Champions League winners’ medal from 1997-98 shows just how big a name Sanchez is. But instead, Leeds will now have to make do with Heckingbottom.
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