'Chaos' as ex-Leeds United chief 'no longer trusted' to lead transfer plans - he could be sacked
The former Leeds United sporting director has admitted to making ‘a lot of mistakes’.
Former Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta could be sacked by Sevilla with reports suggesting he has lost the trust of key figures inside the club during a period of ‘chaos’.
Sevilla endured a miserable 2024/25 campaign that ended with one win in 11 and a 17th-placed finish, with just one point separating them from the bottom three and a first relegation since 2000. Fans of the seven-time UEFA Cup/Europa League winners have vehemently protested against those in charge of their club throughout, with Orta at the forefront of their frustrations.
Those inside Sevilla’s Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan chanted for Orta to ‘get out’ of their club during a 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in February and that sentiment has only intensified. Earlier this month, supporters forced their way into the training ground following a 3-2 loss at Celta Vigo and players were forced to sleep on site in order to avoid potentially dangerous confrontations.
Sevilla eventually survived but the microscope remains on those above manager Joaquín Caparros, with reports from Spain now suggesting Orta is on the verge of leaving. Local outlet Estadio Deportivo claim confidence in the former Leeds transfer chief has been ‘completely lost’, with the intention being to part ways - although as of yet, no one has told him.
Orta is said to be aware of what is being discussed, but no one has ‘directly communicated’ their plans to the sporting director, who continues to put things in place for the upcoming summer and following season. The report adds that a key reason for the lack of confirmation is the financial situation at Sevilla, with one year remaining on the Spaniard’s contract that would need to be paid off.
Furthermore, Sevilla are having a hard time sourcing a suitable replacement they can afford, with top candidate Braulio Vazquez currently at Osasuna, who would demand compensation for his exit. And so the La Liga strugglers, and Orta specifically, appear to be left in a state of limbo going into another huge summer in which they have lots to do but little money to spend.
Sevilla weighing up Victor Orta sack as Leeds United mistakes repeated
The report suggests Orta could end up staying if a replacement is not found, and that will offer little comfort to Sevilla fans given they largely put the blame on him for years of disappointing recruitment. But the 46-year-old, who came in for similar criticism at Leeds, passionately defended his work earlier this year.
"I'm working with objectives set for me by the club,” Orta insisted last month, as quoted by Futbol Fantasy, when quizzed on his squad building efforts. “We've had some real misfortunes with injuries, with the reinforcements in the winter transfer window, with - in truth - very bad luck. We haven't improved as we had hoped... I think that, in the grand scheme of things, we have to acknowledge a lot of mistakes I've made.”
Orta still divides opinion among Leeds fans more than two years after his exit, which came just weeks before the club’s Premier League relegation in 2023. The passionate transfer chief is credited with bringing Marcelo Bielsa to Elland Road while also unearthing gems such as Raphinha, Crysencio Summerville and Pascal Struijk.
But other big decisions were also widely questioned, such as the decision to replace Bielsa with Jesse Marsch and then stick with the American for longer than many expected. He also sanctioned big-money moves for the likes of Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca and others who were unable to keep Leeds from going down.
Your next Leeds United read: Chris Wilder’s Gus Hamer transfer admission offers encouragement to Elland Road chiefs