
A recent study has revealed that Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani has the second highest fan approval rating in the Premier League.
Nick Harris oversaw the study for the Mail on Sunday between January and February. The survey takes into account the views of over 10,500 fans with an average of 500 per club.
A summary of best owners as voted for by fans of each current PL club
🧵 25/n pic.twitter.com/sMRylyLSrz
— Nick Harris (@sportingintel) March 26, 2022
The results showed that Radrizzani had an approval rating of 98.34% amongst Leeds fans, bettered only by Brentford’s Matt Benham.
Respondents cited buying back Elland Road and taking Leeds to the Premier League after 16 years as his major achievements.
One fan commented that, under Radrizzani, there had been a “restoration of pride… he is the best owner we have had for years. He appears committed and long may this last”.
Respondents deemed Marcelo Bielsa’s ‘spy-gate’ episode to be the major controversy of the Italian’s reign to date.
However, Harris did claim that Leeds fans’ support for Marcelo Bielsa means that the owner’s approval rating may now have dropped.
He said: “I suspect this would be lower now. Bielsa was adored”.
Fans of other Premier League clubs ranked Radrizzani as eleventh when asked which owners of other clubs had done an admirable job.
Manchester City’s owners were voted as having the most damaging effect on English football, receiving 31.72% of the total votes.
However, only three owners received fewer votes than Radrizzani with just 17.
The study also found that 91.4% of Leeds fans were in favour of an independent regulator in order to prevent nation states from purchasing clubs.
Only Brighton fans ranked higher in their support for an independent regulator. Just 8.6% of Leeds fans were opposed to the idea.
