Championship: Sturm Graz deny Leeds United contact for manager Darko Milanic

Sturm Graz have dismissed reports claiming that coach Darko Milanic has been approached by Leeds United.

Championship side Leeds are on the lookout for a new permanent manager following the dismissal of Dave Hockaday last month.

Neil Redfearn has been in charge of the first team for the Whites’ past three league fixtures, but the current caretaker-manager is expected to go back to his old role at the club’s academy once a new boss is appointed.

A number of names have been mentioned as possible successors to Hockaday at Leeds, including that of former Argentina national team coach Alejandro Sabella.

Sturm coach Milanic is also reportedly on the radar of Leeds owner Massimo Cellino, but the Austrian club’s general manager Gerhard Goldbrich insists that no offer has been made for the services of the 46-year-old.

“There were no talks, no offer, nothing,” he told Sportnet. “Nobody contacted us and the same goes for Darko Milanic.

“I spoke with our manager and he said to me that these kinds of rumours are nothing new, and that he was subject to rumours all the time when he was the manager of Slovenian side Maribor.”

Milanic himself issued a statement on Sturm’s official website, claiming: “In football, there are always rumours. But there have been no offers to me from another club. I am 100% focused on the job at SK Sturm.”