The Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani, has apologised to the club’s fans following relegation from the Premier League. In a personal statement posted on Twitter, Radrizzani admitted the board of directors had made mistakes and hoped to make some “key appointments in different areas of the club” – but made no mention of a possible change of ownership at Leeds. The 48-year-old Italian, who is part of a consortium that completed a takeover of Sampdoria on Tuesday, said: “The last few days have been very difficult for everyone associated with Leeds United. I find it very hard to find the right words to say, other than to apologise to all of our fans for the club’s relegation. “I am sincerely sorry for how this season has unfolded,” Radrizzani continued. “We have made significant investments to try [and] keep Leeds United in the Premier League, but in working hard to improve the club, we have also obviously made some mistakes. We are reflecting on the decisions that we have taken, to ensure we learn the lessons to improve our club and make progress in the future.” Under Radrizzani’s leadership, Leeds appointed Marcelo Bielsa in May 2018, and the Argentinian returned the club to the Premier League in 2020. The hugely popular coach was sacked in February 2022, with Leeds narrowly avoiding relegation under Jesse Marsch. This season, Marsch, Javi Gracia and Sam Allardyce were unable to prevent a slide into the bottom three. Radrizzani’s statement followed news on Tuesday evening that his company, Aser Group, had completed a deal for financially-stricken Sampdoria in partnership with finance company Gestio Capital. The former Italian champions were recently relegated to Serie B after three wins in 37 league games so far this season. It had been expected that the deal would lead to Radrizzani selling his 56% stake in Leeds to the club’s American co-owners 49ers Enterprises – the financial arm of NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers. 49ers Enterprises increased its stake in Leeds to 44% at the end of 2021, with an agreement in place to buy Radrizzani’s stake and take full control before January 2024. That deal was contingent on Leeds remaining in the Premier League, however, and it would appear Radrizzani is now intent on leading them back to the top flight. “We have invested heavily in Leeds United since 2017 and worked hard to get back to where the club deserves to be,” he added. “With the support of our partners, we can continue that journey to bounce back.” “I am proud of the progress we have made in recent years. We have become a club that can attract exciting players, we are strong commercially, we have seen improvements to the academy, introduced a women’s side and so much more. In many ways the club has been transformed and we are committed and determined to continue on this journey. I do not like to make false promises, there is still a lot of work to do and change is needed,” Radrizzani concluded. “Leeds supporters deserve more than this. You understand the journey on which we have embarked, and I hope that once the anger and disappointment has subsided you will see that we can come back stronger.” Radrizzani has turned his focus back to Leeds after celebrating the takeover deal for Sampdoria in a separate statement on Tuesday. “We are nothing short of thrilled to be able to announce that we have completed the acquisition of this extraordinary club,” he said. “From today we move on … and I personally can’t wait to get to work.”