Leeds United has appointed Jesse Marsch as their new manager. The 48-year-old was a free agent since early December when RB Leipzig sacked him.
Marsch led New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Salzburg to impressive results in his career, but failed to produce the desired impact in Leipzig. He was shown the door just five months into his contract.
At Leeds, Marsch succeeds Argentine cult manager Marcelo Bielsa, who was sacked on Sunday following a shock 4-0 defeat against Tottenham. Leeds is now 16th in the Premier League table, and only two points above the relegation zone.
Marsch: ‘I watched this club from afar for many years’
Marsch needs to get Leeds back to winning fast. The team won just one point from their last six matches, conceding no fewer than 21 goals in the process.
“I know what a big club Leeds is, I know ex-players who have played here and I’ve watched this club from afar for many years and I’m really honored and excited to be here,” Marsch said.
“How [Bielsa] has helped transform Leeds United into a Premier League team is pretty amazing,” he added. “For me, I just want to help take the torch to the next phase. Everything that has been done has laid an incredible foundation and, coming in at this moment, I want to do everything I can to take the club into the next stage of our history.”
“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,” said Leeds director of football Victor Orta.
“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,” Orta added. Marsch penned a three-year deal at Elland Road.
After leaving New York Red Bulls in 2018, Marsch joined RB Leipzig as Ralf Rangnick’s assistant. He was then appointed RB Salzburg coach in 2019. In 2021, he took over the RB Leipzig head-coaching role from Julian Nagelsmann, who left for Bayern.
Cameron Toshack, the son of ex-Real Madrid and Wales manager John, will be appointed as Marsch’s assistant at Leeds.
Can Leeds get relegated?
Leeds is now at +170 odds to get relegated at the end of the season. Odds were slashed after their results in February, with LUFC going down dramatically from +650 at the beginning of the year. Leeds is at -230 to avoid the drop with 12 games to play until the end of the current campaign.