In the first 30 years the English Premier League and over 100 years of English soccer before it was formed, there were only two American managers. Today, Jesse Marsch became the third.
On Monday, Marsch was officially appointed the manager at Leeds United, becoming the third American manager in history to join the Premier League. The move comes just one day after Leeds parted ways with now-former manager Marcelo Bielsa.
“We are delighted to welcome Jesse to the club and excited for him to lead us into this new chapter,” Leeds Director of Football Victor Orta said in a statement. “Jesse is someone we identified a number of years ago during his time at Red Bull Salzburg and we believe his philosophy and style of football aligns with that of the club and will suit the players very well. We have a long-term plan and firmly believe he can take Leeds United to the next level and are excited for what the future holds.”
Marsch began the 2021-22 European soccer season as manager at Germany’s RB Leipzig. He was sacked after just 21 games with a record of seven wins, four draws, and six losses.
But Marsch has nearly a decade of soccer managing experience spread between the United States, Canada and Austria. He turned the New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Salzburg into consistent winners, winning multiple titles.
#LUFC can today announce the appointment of Jesse Marsch as our new head coach, pending international clearance
— Leeds United (@LUFC) February 28, 2022
Jesse Marsch comes into a difficult position for his first job in the Premier League though. Leeds United are 16th on the Premier League table and just two points above the relegation line. Several of the teams behind them have games in hand to catch up to Leeds with.
If Marsch can’t lead Leeds out of the relegation, he may not last the season, let alone into next year.
Nevertheless, it’s a historic opportunity for one of the rising American stars in soccer coaching.
Good luck, Jesse!
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