Swansea owner Jason Levien: Don't judge Bob Bradley by American accent, passport
Bob Bradley's appointment at Swansea City has been met with approval, applause and praise to the west of the Atlantic Ocean, but to the east of it, there is more skepticism regarding an American manager being put in charge of a Premier League team.
In response, Swansea City–and D.C. United–owner Jason Levien is urging fans to look past Bradley's nationality and see him for the manager he is, stating he was the best man for the job in comments made to talkSPORT.
“The reason we appointed Bob is not because he's American but because we believe he's the best man for the job,” Levien said. "Neither Steve [Kaplan, Swansea's co-owner] nor I had met Bob before we interviewed him last Friday but we did know him by reputation–and he lived up to that high reputation. He is a top-class leader, tactically very smart and has the strength of character we believe will make an immediate impact in the dressing room and on the training ground."
Bradley was chosen ahead of Manchester United's Welsh great Ryan Giggs and former Villarreal manager Marcelino, according to SI's Grant Wahl.
"Anybody who knows Bob knows he would only take a job if believed he was getting it on merit, not because we simply wanted another American at the club," Levien added "We just want the fans to give him a chance and judge him on the job he does, not his accent or passport."
Bradley's first match will be at Arsenal–winner of five straight league matches–on Oct. 15 following the conclusion of the international break. Swansea currently sits 17th in the Premier League with a 1-5-1 record through seven games.
