Mateusz Klich is determined to win promotion with Leeds United.
Mateusz Klich has revealed that he and his Leeds United team-mates are very motivated to win promotion this season after ‘completely wasting’ their chance to return to the Premier League last term.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side spent nearly the entire season alternating between first and second place in the Championship, but ultimately had to settle for a playoff spot after a dreadful end to the campaign.
Leeds’ dismal form followed them into the post-season as Derby County beat them over two legs to reach the playoff final, where the Rams lost to Aston Villa.
The Elland Road side are expected to be there or thereabouts again come May, and Klich, who scored 10 times from midfield last term, says that the Whites boys are desperate to make up for the devastation of what happened last time around.
He told West Yorkshire Sport Daily: “I thought about the Derby game for very long afterwards. We wasted a lot of work. It was our fault. This season I hope we finish stronger because the last month wasn’t good.
“Everybody is motivated [to make amends]. It feels like a failure last season and even if we were very good for nine months, we completely wasted it in the last month.”
Leeds have been absent from the top flight since 2004 and their failure to end that exile will have destroyed a lot of fans last season.
If the players were distraught, which they were, then it’s infinitely worse for the legion of supporters that experienced a lot more ups and downs over the past 15 years than the playing staff.
Bielsa staying in West Yorkshire was a big thing and the fans can take heart in knowing that he’ll be working a lot harder to right the wrongs of last year, which means the players will be too.
Leeds kick off their Championship campaign with a trip to Bristol City next Sunday.
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