Leeds United Director of Football Victor Orta has said it will take time for Leeds to reach Europe once again.
The Spaniard was speaking on the long term future of the club, comparing the project to Newcastle United and Aston Villa. He said the heights of the past are within reach, but for now Villa and Newcastle are a ‘step above’.
Orta insists that long term stability is the goal for Leeds, but admits getting Europe for the time since 2003 will be a long road:
“You have to establish yourself first,” the Leeds sporting director told Spanish outlet Diario AS.
“Anything between 10th and 13th, 10th and 14th is a very good season. Getting three consecutive years in the Premier after 17 years out of it, stabilising the structure, the ideas and perhaps, little by little, moving on to more ambitious projects.
“It is very difficult and very competitive, even outside the top-six there are rivals like Newcastle and Aston Villa that seem like a step above. Personally, I have the dream of returning this team to its place, which is to play in European competition because it has already done so, because it has done so successfully.
“It’s not easy, but the fans demand it, I don’t know if through a cup classification, hopefully through a league classification. But I think that immobility in football is one of the worst defects.”
Newcastle are currently flying high with just one defeat from their opening 16 games in the Premier League this term. Aston Villa have appointed Unai Emery, which saw a significant improvement in form after Steven Gerrard prior to the World Cup.
