The man who took Leeds United back to the promised land.
Leeds coach Marcelo Bielsa stood inside Elland Road. Awaiting the kick off of the new season against Stoke City in the Championship.
A list of former clubs and acheivments throughout Marcelo Bielsa's footballing career.
1955 - Born on the 21st day of July 1955 to his mother,
Lidia Caldera and father, Rafael Pedro Bielsa in the city of Rosario in Argentina.
1975-1977 - Bielsa played as a defender in Newell's Old Boys'
First Division team, but retired when he was 25 to focus on coaching.
1980 - He began his coaching career as the head coach of
Newell's Old Boys School’s Youth Division.
1990 - After nearly a decade with the youth setup, he was given the task of managing their first team,
where he would go on to win the 1990 Torneo Apertura and the 1990–91 Torneo Integración,
defeating Boca Juniors on penalties.
1998 - In 1998, Bielsa was given the job of manager at Spanish La Liga side Espanyol,
but he soon left after being offered the management of the Argentina national team later that year.
2004 - At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Marcelo led the Argentinian squad to their first Olympic Gold Medal in 52 years,
maintaining a record of having won every match without conceding a goal in the tournament.
2007 - During his tenure as the Chile National team coach, underwent many positive and negative historic firsts including
gaining a point away in Uruguay and finally achieving qualification for the World Cup after defeating Colombia 4–2.
2011 - Having left his role as Chilean coach, he then took over the reigns at Athletico Bilbao. Despite a tough start,
his players soon adjusted to his methos which resulted in memorable performances in La Liga and gained them a place in the finals of the Copa Del Rey and
Europa League, unfortunatley losing in both finals.
2014 - Becomes Head Coach at Marseille, finising 4th in the league.
2016 - Leaves Lazio after just 2 days citing that the club had been unable to recruit the players he had wanted by the deadline
he had given to the club and did not feel that his needs would be supported during the transfer window.
2017 Marcelo joined French outfit Lille however it was again short lived as he woould leave 5 months after being appointed
2018 - Bielsa became Championship club Leeds United's new head coach.
2019 - Before a 2–0 victory over Derby County on 11 January 2019 to further Leeds' lead at the top of the Championship table,
in the pre match build up Bielsa admitted he had sent a spy to the Derby training ground,
after reports emerged in the press that a man was spotted the previous day outside the Derby training ground.
2019 - In the semi-final playoffs versus sixth-placed Derby County, they were beaten on 3–4 aggregate over the two legs.
Despite taking a 1–0 win at Pride Park into the home leg at Elland Road, Bielsa's Leeds lost 4–2 in an encounter that saw both teams reduced to 10 men and
Derby progress to the final against Aston Villa.
2020 - After the English professional football season was paused in March 2020 due to Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football,
the season was resumed during June, under Bielsa,
Leeds United secured promotion to the Premier League on 17 July 2020 with two matches remaining of
the 2019–20 season and also become the EFL Championship Champions for the 2019-20 season,
finishing 10 points ahead of 2nd placed West Brom.
“When he took the Argentina job, at the end of his first training session Bielsa handed the players a pencil and a little slip of paper.
He wanted them to write down whether they wanted to line up with a back three or a four.
He went through all the replies. “Back four, back four, back four… This clearly shows your preference for a line of four.
But I’m telling you that from now on we’re going to be playing with a back three. See you tomorrow.”
And he won them over, bringing them round to his way of thinking.”
-- Tim Vickery
If you have time, you should read more about this incredible human being
on his
Wikipedia entry.
Marcelo Bielsa
