Leeds United technical director Gretar Steinsson is to leave his role with the club to move to a new position within the 49ers Enterprises global football group.
Steinsson, who joined the Championship side after leaving Tottenham Hotspur as performance director in July 2023, will not be replaced at Leeds.
The former Iceland international joined the club as part of a restructure of their football operations team in the same month as the 49ers takeover from Andrea Radrizzani was completed.
His new role within the wider 49ers group will see him work as a technical director with a focus on industry trend research, technology and player advancements. The move would see Steinsson work to evolve ideas that would primarily benefit Leeds and any future football clubs that become part of the organisation. His transition to the new job is already underway.
While there are no imminent plans for a multi-club model under the 49ers umbrella, it is not something that is off the table for the group. The main focus in the short term is for Leeds to win promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking, after losing to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley in May.
Steinsson was part of a reworked football operations team at Leeds built after the exit of former director of football Victor Orta, with a view to ensuring responsibility for decision making was shared rather than resting on one person. Orta held that responsibility solely from 2017.
Transfer consultant and former Reading director of football Nick Hammond remains in place overseeing transfers, while Adam Underwood remains as head of football operations.
Steinsson retired from playing in 2013 and previously held jobs as technical director of Fleetwood Town and head of recruitment and development at Everton. He joined Tottenham in 2022 as performance director with responsibility over the first team and the academy.
The decision not to replace Steinsson comes as the 49ers feel Leeds have an effective senior team in place including Hammond, Underwood, manager Daniel Farke, CEO Angus Kinnear and head of football administration Hannah Cox.
In May 2024, Red Bull became a minority investor in Leeds as well as becoming their front of shirt sponsor for the 2024-25 season.
Leeds are third in the Championship after a 1-0 defeat to Millwall on Wednesday night. They are set to play Queens Park Rangers at Elland Road on Saturday at 3pm.
(Top image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
