Who Is New Leeds United Manager Jesse Marsch? American Set To Replace Sacked Marcelo Bielsa

Jesse Marsch is set to become the third manager from the United States to lead a team in the English Premier League.

As reported by BBC Sport, the 48-year-old is the man Leeds United have chosen to replace Marcelo Bielsa, who was sacked at the weekend after losing his final three games 4-2, 6-0 and 4-0.

Marsch will be hoping to fare better than the previous two Americans to manage in the Premier League.

The first was former USMNT coach Bob Bradley, who lasted only 11 games as Swansea City boss in 2016. Bradley led Swansea to just two victories and two draws in those 11 matches, giving him a win percentage of 18.18%.

David Wagner, who was born in Germany but represented the USA eight times as a player, was a little more successful. He took charge of Huddersfield Town in November 2015 and got them promoted to the Premier League 18 months later.

Wagner managed to keep Huddersfield up in their first Premier League season, but he was sacked five months into their second campaign in England's top division, which ultimately ended in relegation.

Wagner's overall Premier League record read: played 60, won 11, drawn 15 and lost 34, with a 18.33% win rate.

Marsch will be hoping to do better than both of his countrymen as he will take over a Leeds side in desperate need of points in order to pull away from the relegation zone.

New Leeds boss Jesse Marsch won two trophies in each of his two seasons at RB Salzburg

IMAGO/Fotostand

Who Is Jesse Marsch?

Playing career

Jesse Marsch is a 48-year-old former midfielder who spent his entire playing career in the States.

After spending his college career at Princeton Tigers, he began in senior soccer at D.C. United, before playing over 200 games for Chicago Fire and more than 100 for Chivas USA.

Marsch earned two international caps for the USMNT. His debut came in 2001 in a World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago, six years before he faced China in a friendly in his only other appearance.

Role at 2010 World Cup

Marsch's big break in coaching came in 2010 when he was named assistant to USMNT manager Bob Bradley.

He helped Bradley lead the US to their second best World Cup campaign since 1930 as they won their group ahead of England, Slovenia and Algeria, before losing to Ghana in the round of 16.

Marsch left his role as assistant when Bradley was sacked in the summer of 2011.

Marsch worked as assistant to USMNT head coach Bob Bradley (left) from 2010 to 2011

IMAGO/Allstar/Graham Whitby

MLS coaching career

His first job as a number one came with Montreal Impact, who made him their first ever manager.

Marsch led the new franchise in their maiden Major League Soccer season in 2012, earning 42 points and a respectable 12th place finish.

He left Montreal at the end of that season but the team's president was keen to stress that Marsch's performance had been satisfactory.

"This is not a dismissal or a resignation, rather an amicable parting of ways," president Joey Saputo said at the time, as reported by The Record.

"Although the decision was a tough one to make, it was made mutually for the benefit of the club. We said Wednesday we were satisfied with Jesse's work and we still are.

"I think naming Jesse Marsch as a head coach for our first year in MLS was the right decision."

A little over two years later, Marsch began his association with the Red Bull group and it gave his career wings.

He managed New York Red Bulls from January 2015 to July 2018, winning the MSL Supporters' Shield in his first season by setting a club record of 60 points.

Marsch's final record with the team when he left New York in July 2018 was 75 wins from 151 games, with 32 draws and a goal difference of +81.

Move to Europe

Marsch became Ralf Rangnick's assistant manager at German side RB Leipzig for the 2018-19 season. As a key man on the touchline and training field, Marsch helped Leipzig reach the German Cup final and finish third in the Bundesliga.

He left Leipzig after one season to take the top job at sister club Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, where he worked with Erling Haaland for six months before the striking sensation was sold to Borussia Dortmund.

Just like he had in New York, Marsch won silverware in his first season in Austria. Salzburg won a league and cup double in the 2019/20 campaign, before repeating the feat in 2020/21.

After conquering Austria twice, Marsch returned Leipzig, who appointed him as the successor to then-manager Julian Nagelsmann.

He only lasted 21 matches though and left the German Bundesliga side in December last year having won eight of those games and lost nine.

Marsch pictured speaking to Erling Haaland during their time at Red Bull Salzburg in 2019

IMAGO/GEPA/Mathias Mandl

Style of play

Marsch, like his Leeds predecessor Bielsa, demands a lot from his players.

He too favors a high-pressing game, but with a little more balance that Bielsa's gung-ho approach.

Unlike Bielsa, Marsch does not set up his team to play man-to-man marking.

Nevertheless, he will expect his attacking players to press in order to force mistakes from opponents in defensive areas.

Marsch is also known to be energetic and exuberant on the touchline and this could encourage Leeds' rowdy fans to get behind their team even more.