{
  "id": 9277560,
  "title": "Leeds star rallies behind ‘incredible’ Man Utd rival after club legends take unnecessary swipe",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/leeds-star-rallies-behind-incredible-man-utd-rival-after-club-legends",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-23T05:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/leeds-star-rallies-behind-incredible-052000830.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Leeds United's Jaka Bijol has stood by his fellow countryman Benjamin Sesko after former Manchester United stars Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt criticized the striker on The Good, The Bad & The Football. Sesko missed the weekend's match against Fulham due to a shin injury that has also barred him from international play with Slovenia. Scholes suggested Sesko wear shin pads if his injury wasn't broken, while Butt said, \"You're a player – you either break your shin or you play!\" The comments have left a negative impact on Sesko's confidence, according to Bijol, who stated that the former should not be swayed by such pressure.",
  "summary": "Leeds United’s Jaka Bijol has rallied behind his compatriot Benjamin Sesko following unnecessary criticism from Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt.It comes after the Manchester United striker missed the we...",
  "key_points": [
    "Leeds star Jaka Bijol defends Man Utd's Benjamin Sesko.",
    "Former Manchester United stars criticized Sesko's injury.",
    "Bijol says Scholes and Butt's comments hurt Sesko's confidence."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Bijol's public support for Sesko underscores the solidarity among players and highlights the potential damage to a player's confidence from criticism by revered former professionals.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}