Whites chairman Andrea Radrizzani outlines strategy and mindset for Leeds United's Premier League return

CHAIRMAN Andrea Radrizzani says Leeds United must keep grounded amidst the excitement of their Premier League return and take a humble approach in looking to follow Sheffield United's lead.
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Leeds will end 16 years without top-flight football come Saturday evening's clash at champions Liverpool having stormed to last season's Championship title in finishing ten points clear of runners-up West Brom.

But whilst naturally understanding the excitement, United's Italian owner Radrizzani wants Leeds to keep their feet on the ground with the chairman using the heartbreaking 2018-19 Championship campaign as an example as the fine line between failure and success.

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United looked destined to seal automatic promotion in Whites head coach Marcelo Bielsa's first season at the helm only to fall out of the automatic promotion spots in the final month of the season and finish third.

HUMBLE AND GROUNDED: Leeds United chairman Andrea Radrizzani. Photo by George Wood/Getty Images.HUMBLE AND GROUNDED: Leeds United chairman Andrea Radrizzani. Photo by George Wood/Getty Images.
HUMBLE AND GROUNDED: Leeds United chairman Andrea Radrizzani. Photo by George Wood/Getty Images.

Play-offs defeat to Derby County then followed and whilst Leeds then stormed back to romp to the Championship title the following year, Radrizzani says he will not be getting carried away upon United's first season back in the top tier.

The Whites chairman also says his club will look to build on the foundations of last season's style and success and add quality as opposed to quantity and seek to follow the example of Sheffield United who finished ninth in their first season back in the Premier League.

Speaking in an interview with Financial Times CEO and Leeds fan John Ridding, Radrizzani said: "Firstly I think it's important to keep the balance and stay grounded because this week everyone is very excited and we became at the centre of the world.

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"I see an article about Leeds United and myself in every corner of the world but this is the moment where we need to remember how tiny the line is between success and failure.

"Last year we didn't do a bad job, we were very close but we failed so in this moment I think we need to really remember the difficult time and this will help us to stay grounded and plan the future with a more humble approach.

"Practically I see ourselves hopefully similar to Sheffield United in terms of not changing the mentality of the project.

"I think we have built a good foundation.

"It's not by chance that for two years in a row you are in the top three of a difficult league like the Championship with 92 games where we are always in the top three so many, many points gained, playing most of the time the best football and being always number one in terms of possession, chances created.

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"The quality of the football is there and we need to continue with a few integrations and I would say quality more than quantity."

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Thank you Laura Collins

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