“I said it to them directly”- Pontus Jansson has just said something that could upset Leeds United fans

“I said it to them directly”- Pontus Jansson has just said something that could upset Leeds United fans

Pontus Jansson is still held in high regard by many Leeds United fans, even though his departure from Yorkshire came with some tension.

The Swedish defender was moved on during Marcelo Bielsa’s time in charge, after Leeds failed to secure promotion in the 2018/19 season. Bielsa famously benched him for Gaetano Berardi in the Championship play-off semi-final loss to Derby County, a decision that marked the beginning of the end for Jansson at Elland Road.

In July 2019, Jansson joined Brentford in a £5.5m transfer — and he has now made a remark that may not sit well with Leeds supporters.

Jansson says leaving Leeds for Brentford was the “best decision” of his life

Speaking on The Ealing Road Podcast, the 34-year-old explained:
“Football rarely works in a way where a player asks a club to let them go. In my case, Leeds — the Sporting Director and others — hinted that they wanted me to move on. They told me there were three or four offers they wanted me and my agent to consider. I told them I was open to listening, but only to clubs in England. If not, I wanted to stay.
But nothing happened, and Leeds kept pushing for me to leave for different reasons.

“So I told my agent, if there’s nothing in the Premier League, we’ll have to look in the Championship. That’s when I mentioned Brentford. Every time I played against Brentford, it was tough — so much talent — but I also felt they lacked defensive leadership and solidity. I asked my agent to contact them.

“His first reaction was ‘Brentford? What would you do there?’ But things moved quickly. Brentford ran my name through their data system, like they always do, and came back minutes later saying everything looked good.

“When I arrived in the summer, even Brentford players were asking why I’d chosen them. Ollie Watkins was the first to greet me in Austria, and he immediately asked, ‘Why did you come to Brentford?’ Looking back now, it was the best decision of my life.”

The move certainly paid off for Jansson — who sent a message to Leeds fans in 2024. He made 58 Championship appearances for the Bees before helping them win promotion and adding 49 Premier League games to his name.

Still, after playing 120 matches for Leeds and becoming a crowd favourite, some supporters may feel he could have chosen his words more carefully, given the joy he expressed about leaving Elland Road.

What really happened between Jansson and Bielsa after the Aston Villa incident

A common belief among Leeds fans is that Bielsa was angered by Jansson for trying to prevent Albert Adomah from scoring during the controversial 1-1 draw with Aston Villa in April 2019. However, Jansson addressed that story in an interview with The Sun in December 2019.

Jansson — who later received a farewell message from Luke Ayling after departing Brentford — explained:

“It was blown up far more in the media and on social platforms than it was inside our dressing room. Marcelo came to me and said he understood what I did and might have done the same, but asked me to try listening to the coach next time.

“He wasn’t angry. Maybe a little bit. You never really know with him… When you’re on the pitch and your manager doesn’t speak your language, sometimes communication isn’t easy.”