As soon as the Championship fixture list was announced last summer, one game jumped right out as a key clash for Leeds United.
Leeds travel to Pride Park to face Derby County in their penultimate game of the season, and a lot could hang in the balance ahead of that match.
Of course, the recent history between the Rams and the Whites has that set up to be a spicy clash after spygate and the playoff semi-finals last season, but another element of intrigue has further fuelled the flames of this rivalry.
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The Athletic reported earlier this week that Leeds aren’t too happy with the EFL about Derby’s signing of Wayne Rooney and the role 32Red had to play in it.
The former Manchester United man’s move was financed by the gambling company who have provided an extra £1.5m of funding for the Rams to spend as they please.
The problem is that Leeds are also sponsored by 32Red, yet they haven’t received the same type of treatment. While that may be seen as a negative, it could also work in the Whites’ favour.
The Yorkshire side don’t have the pleasure of playing against Rooney until late April, and they should have no issues in being motivated for that one.
Alongside the revenge for last season’s playoffs and the spygate issue, Bielsa can gee his players up by asking them to go out there and win the right way, rather than using underhanded financial tactics to land marquee players as Derby have done.
Leeds may have a history of falling apart late on in seasons, missing out on promotion last term, but it’s impossible to think that the players won’t be giving it their all for this match if Bielsa handles his team talk in the right way.
In other news, Andrea Radrizzani could be about to risk Leeds’ future with one financial gamble.