EXCLUSIVE: Leeds decision to part ways with Victor Orta totally justified with Sporting Director now being heavily criticized at Sevilla in Spain after questionable signings and taking club from Europa League Winners to relegation battle in less than a season in charge
It is now coming up to 12 months since Victor Orta was relieved from his duties at Leeds United.
Orta had been sporting director at Elland Road for around six years but after a series of poor managerial appointments and player recruitment mistakes, his sacking was long overdue.
Leeds went through four different managers during his final season in charge, while only two of his final 10 first team signings across his last two windows are still actually at the club – Georginio Rutter and Willy Gnonto.
Giving him too much responsibility is a decision Leeds have since come to realise was a mistake, and it now appears the same is happening at Sevilla. Sevilla have endured a dreadful first season with Orta at the helm as they sit 16th in La Liga, while also making no progress in Europe, something which has been a cornerstone of their recent history given that they won the trophy last season for a record seventh time.
According to Diario de Sevilla, Orta’s signing of Tottenham Hotspur striker Alejo Veliz has also been regard as a significant failure by those in Spain.
Veliz actually arrived in January on loan for the rest of the season in the hope of securing some game time. However, he was actually injured when the deal was completed.
The Argentine has played just 23 minutes of football in nearly two months, was left out of the squad for the most recent game, and with no option-to-buy, there are question marks over why he was brought in.
Given that Sevilla are also on their third manager of the season, it is pretty clear that Orta has in no way learned from his mistakes at Leeds. Failed Orta signings are a tale Leeds fans are familiar with. The Sporting Director has also been criticised for bringing Manchester United’s Hannibal Mejbri to the club with the Turkish international yet to make any significant positive impact at the club since joining late in January.
It is crazy just how much history seems to be repeating itself at Sevilla for Orta. This example with Veliz feels like the same script that was seen so many times at Leeds.
Just one example and arguably Orta’s biggest transfer blunder in West Yorkshire also came in a January transfer window, and also in the form of a new striker.
Back in January 2020 when Leeds were pushing for promotion, Eddie Nketiah returned early from his loan spell at Arsenal, and so the market was entered for some support for Patrick Bamford.
Jean-Kevin Augustin arrived from a big European club in RB Leipzig, couldn’t stay fit and played less than 50 minutes of football in a transfer that went onto cost Leeds millions.
Thankfully now, Leeds seemingly have some much smarter people behind-the-scenes controlling the recruitment side of things, and fans don’t have to put up with Orta any longer.
