Leeds United are still on the hunt for a new manager, following Jesse Marsch’s sacking. After Rayo Vallecano manager Andoni Iraola turned down the Yorkshire side, it has been revealed that Leeds were willing to stump up for his clause.
It was reported last week by SkySports News that Rayo had blocked a move for Iraola, but the Basque manager has a release clause in his contract. Rumoured to be around €10m, Leeds could have taken Iraola from Rayo without them having a say in the matter. It appears instead that Iraola turned down the job in order to see out the season with Los Franjirrojos.
Rayo Vallecano Sporting Director David Cobeno told RadioMarca that was the case.
“Andoni has a clause, like the majority of the employees of the club, in terms of footballers and coaches. From that point, we refer [teams] to the clause.”
“From there, the decision of Andoni was clear, and he has given us his word until the end of the season. Sometimes a person’s word weighs more than money, and Andoni has shown as much.”
Iraola is one of the most promising managers in Spain and currently has Rayo 6th in La Liga, despite the fact they have the sixth-lowest salary limit in the division.
The Basque manager’s contract is up at the end of the season, and it would be no surprise to see more interest come his way in the summer.
