Leeds chairman Paraag Marathe said the Sky Bet Championship winners want to become “one of the best clubs in all of Europe” during their open-top bus parade.
The city centre came to a standstill on Monday as Daniel Farke’s side took to the streets to celebrate with their fans.
Leeds City Council’s earliest estimates were of 150,000 supporters gathered after Saturday’s win at Plymouth in their final game of the season saw them pip fellow promoted side Burnley to the title.
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Leeds returned to the Premier League after a two-year absence and Marathe declared their bold ambitions from one of three parading buses.
Club owners 49ers Enterprises completed a full takeover of Leeds in July 2023 and Marathe said: “I don’t think anyone realised, this wasn’t f****** easy. This was really hard to do.
“Two years of getting to this point, but all that hard work and all that difficulty, makes right now that much more rewarding and makes today so special.
“I hope I never forget this moment. I want to live in this moment as much as I can.
“This is a journey, this is not the end. We have to keep going, this is what Leeds does.
“We are going to have some difficulties, but we are going to get where we want to go and we are going to be one of the best clubs in all of Europe.”
City centre streets were closed at 8am and supporters gathered hours before the players’ bus began its crawl down Wellington Street at 1pm towards the City Square and then along the Headrow to the Town Hall.
The short route took almost two hours as fans lined the streets, gathered on balconies, climbed trees and scaled lamp posts and traffic lights to gain a better vantage point.
Both Leeds and Burnley finished on 100 points – the first time two Championship sides have hit the landmark in the same season – but Leeds’ superior goal difference saw them claim the trophy.
The Whites have returned to the Premier League at the second attempt following relegation in 2023, with last season ending in play-off final heartache.
They last won top-flight promotion under former head coach Marcelo Bielsa, who led them to the Championship title in 2020.
That came during the Covid pandemic – the final nine games were played behind closed doors – and success under Farke is the first time Leeds have celebrated promotion with their fans since 1990.
