Leeds United has conquered the English Championship within two years of manager Marcelo Bielsa’s arrival. Impressive to say the least, the fearless leader came within 1 point of automatic promotion last season and wasn’t going to let that tarnish his opportunity this term.
With two domestic fixtures remaining, Leeds United was able to lift the Championship league trophy with two more weeks to celebrate. Eighty-seven points earned within 44 fixture dates gave Leeds United their return to top-flight football in the foreseeable future.
It’s been a long and tiring sixteen years for Leeds United fans outside of the Premier League, with huge praise heading towards the coaching skills of Marcelo Bielsa. Let’s note that he hasn’t signed a new contract with Leeds while refusing to discuss the matter in a recent interview. However, I wouldn’t worry as Marcelo has expressed his eagerness to compete in the English Premier League alongside, Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and co.
Pep Guardiola Praises Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa wasn’t a random manager hired by Leeds United in 2018; the world-renowned coach was pitted by Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, as “the best coach in the world” before their promotion – a considerable compliment stemming from the accomplishments that Pep has behind him.
🗣 “There’s no other manager that can play the way he plays, no one can imitate him. For English football it will be incredible to have him in the Premier League”
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) July 20, 2020
Pep Guardiola praises his mentor Marcelo Bielsa on promotion with Leeds pic.twitter.com/KvzR4LiWZu
Now the Manchester City boss will face the coach who’s inspired 1000’s;
“I am lucky sometimes to have the opportunity to talk to him and see him. He is an authentic manager because no other manager can play the way he plays. No one can imitate him, and that makes him so unique. For English football, it will be incredible for him to be in the Premier League next season and learn about him.” Pep Guardiola told Sky Sports.
Marcelo Bielsa’s achievements aren’t through the trophies on his shelf, but through the experience and knowledge, he’s passed on for decades;
“Winning the titles is what helps you to have more jobs, but at the end of your life, what you remember is not the titles you won. What you remember are the memories. I have the memories as a football player of what the manager would teach me, not the trophies I won.
“We spent a bad night after the Arsenal game but the day after it’s forgotten. When you win the title, it’s entirely the same. What we remember are the experiences, the memories, the right moments. I think Marcelo is top of the list for this.
“The knowledge you have as a manager does not depend on results. The media and other people judge on results, but the players judge the manager through the knowledge the manager has. There are no doubts about the quality of Bielsa.” Bielsa added.
Receiving such praise from arguably, the most excellent club in football today, you’d assume would drive the ego of Marcelo Bielsa, but you’d be mistaken. The soft-spoken 64-year-old is known for his stern yet caring nature and will be nothing less than collected, heading into his first English Premier League season.
The Wait is Over
Leeds United last competed inside the English Premier League back in the summer of 2004. A 1-0 defeat to Chelsea summed up their season as a one-nil loss was considerably low for the season in question, but a loss was nothing less than a usual occurrence. Multiple 3-0, 4-0 high scoring losses gave Leeds United their worst season in EPL history, sending them directly into the Championship division below.
Marcelo Bielsa and his fine-tuned Leeds United squad have broken the deadlock; the agonising years spent playing lower league football has come to an end, for at least one year. And if Bielsa has anything to do with it, the future success of Leeds will lay in the EPL for years to come.
Leeds United lift the Championship trophy after a stunning season under Marcelo Bielsa 🏆pic.twitter.com/ifyG7N2l5N
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) July 22, 2020
Bookmakers have already rushed to give punters some action on the 2020/2021 EPL season, and surprisingly, Leeds have a lower price than 8th placed Sheffield United – this season’s highlight Championship promoted team. 250/1 probably isn’t a line you’d want to bet, but you never know… a tactical mastermind once drove Leicester to an unthinkable title win, don’t count your pennies too quick against Marcelo Bielsa.
