Marcelo Bielsa hinted at something that seemed completely out of place in a press conference on Thursday afternoon. He told journalists that “I go from day to day thinking I’m going to be here (at Leeds United) for the rest of my life.”
At first glance, this might seem like classic managerial talk – overstated commitment designed to win the fans around. But when we connect these words with Bielsa himself, the peculiarity of the statement becomes clear. Although nobody would class him as a ‘normal’ manager, Bielsa’s average tenure at clubs is the strangest of all his tendencies. The argentine usually only takes on roles for an exceedingly small amount of time, and his last two jobs, at Lazio and Lille, both lasted only a year.
Further to this quote, Bielsa did add that being a football manager is “a profession that usually has interruptions. I don’t think there are many managers in football who have the legitimacy to stay in a job for as long as they like.” While Bielsa admits that it might not be up to him whether he remains in the job or not, there seems absolutely no possibility that he would be sacked in this season or the next. His message seems to be: I’ll stay as long as you want me. For Leeds fans, that probably is forever.
Although we can never be sure about what draws Bielsa to want to stick around in the North, it is not difficult to guess. The club, of course, has the largest influence of all. Bielsa must feel comforted supported by such a prestigious club, surrounded by thousands of beloved fans grateful for what he has done to bring them back to the top flight.
While Leeds don’t have the financial firepower of the ‘big-six’, they have enough to secure the players Bielsa identifies. This combines for a potent mixture: a club willing to do what he wants, spurred on by the continued success he is bringing them.
It is also possible the football is enticing him. The Premier League can claim a very high standard of football, and this is almost certainly having an influence on Bielsa – who will be eager to compete against the elites of Klopp, Guardiola and Mourinho. The prospect of a Premier League title might be holding him in place: drawn in by the desire to get his hands on such a prestigious trophy.
Whatever the reason, Bielsa has made it clear that he is here to stay at a club that has welcomed him with open arms. For now, it seems Elland Road and “El Loco Bielsa” are a match made in heaven.
