Marcelo Bielsa

Marcelo Bielsa

Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera (born 21 July 1955) is an Argentinian professional football manager and the current head coach of Premier League club Leeds United. He is also a former player and played as a defender for Newell’s Old Boys, Instituto de Córdoba, and Argentino de Rosario. He has managed several football clubs and also the national teams of Argentina and Chile. With the latter, his team became the first Latin American team to win the Olympic title in football since 1928.

About Marcelo Bielsa in brief

Summary Marcelo BielsaMarcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera (born 21 July 1955) is an Argentinian professional football manager and the current head coach of Premier League club Leeds United. He is also a former player and played as a defender for Newell’s Old Boys, Instituto de Córdoba, and Argentino de Rosario. He has managed several football clubs and also the national teams of Argentina and Chile. With Chile, he achieved cult status due to the improved results of the national team under his leadership. With the latter, his team became the first Latin American team to win the Olympic title in football since 1928, the first Argentinian Olympic medal in 52 years. He resigned at the end of 2004, being succeeded by José Pékékerman. He had a two year-spell in Spain at Athletic Bilbao between 2011 and 2013, leading them to domestic and continental cup finals in the first season, though they lost both. In June 2018, he was appointed manager of then Championship club Leeds, leading the club to promotion back to the Premier League in 2020 after a 16-year absence. In August 2015, he resigned as coach of Marseille after just over a year at the French club. In October 2008, he masterminded Chile’s first win over his native Argentina in nearly 50 years. His resignation prompted the resignation of Argentina’s official match against Brazil, which also marked the first home loss of 3–0 against Brazil in a qualification game in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.

He was sent off in the 1999 Copa América against Colombia in a game where Argentina forward Martin Palermo missed three penalties and BielsA was sentoff. The Albicelestes were runners-up in the 2004 Copa américa and won the 2004 Olympic Games’ gold medal. In 1998, he won another league title – the 1998 Clausura – while coaching Vélez Sarsfield. In 2000, he managed the squad that competed in the final of the 1992 Copa Libertadores, losing to São Paulo on penalties. He soon left after being offered the management of the Argentina national team later that year, taking over after a four-year period by Daniel Passarella as manager. His first job was coaching the youth divisions of Newell’s. In 1980, after retiring from playing in football, he decided to start a career as a football manager. He won several titles in the early 1990s, before moving to Mexico in 1992, briefly coaching Club Atlas and Club Américo. In 1990, he would go on to manage their first team, where he won the 1990 Torneo Apertura and the 1990–91Torneo Integración, defeating Boca Juniors on penalties in the 1990s. After a period in Mexico, he returned to Argentina and won a league title in the 1998 Clausura – the Newell’s clasura – while coaching Vélez Sarsfield in 1998.