Contract details revealed as Leeds confirm arrival of Marcelo Bielsa replacement; Orta welcomes ‘new chapter’

Leeds United have confirmed the appointment of American Jesse Marsch as Marcelo Bielsa’s replacement at Elland Road.

Bielsa was sacked on Sunday after three-and-a-half highly successful years at the helm, with owner Andrea Radrizzani saying he “had to act in order to secure Premier League status”.

The West Yorkshire club have acted swiftly to name a successor, with Marsch agreeing to become their new head coach, pending international clearance, after putting pen to paper on a deal that runs to June 2025.

Leeds are two points and two places above the drop zone but, with key players due to return from injury in the coming weeks, unhappy supporters wanted Bielsa, the man who restored their Premier League place after a 16-year exile, to see the job through.

Radrizzani saw things differently, though, and made the change, with 48-year-old Marsch the man enlisted to lead a charge away from the bottom three.

A two-time winner of the Austrian Bundesliga with Red Bull Salzburg, Marsch last coached at RB Leipzig, whom he left after just 21 games in December.

“We are delighted to welcome Jesse to the club and excited for him to lead us into this new chapter,” said Victor Orta, Leeds’ director of football, on the club website.

“Jesse is someone we identified a number of years ago during his time at Red Bull Salzburg and we believe his philosophy and style of football aligns with that of the club and will suit the players very well.

“We have a long-term plan and firmly believe he can take Leeds United to the next level and are excited for what the future holds.”

Chief Executive Angus Kinnear added: “We are really pleased to have quickly secured the services of our first-choice head coach.

“Whilst the short-term objective for Jesse is