Marcelo Bielsa is a coach with a modest collection of titles over his thirty-year career, yet he is widely respected and recognized, especially for his innovative ideas and the attractive football his teams play. Pep Guardiola regards him as a role model and has even named him the best coach in the world. During his early career, the now Manchester City manager spent eleven hours in conversation with Bielsa at his home in Argentina, a meeting that significantly influenced Guardiola’s decision to pursue coaching.
Born on July 21, 1955, in Rosario, Argentina, Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera grew up in a bourgeois family. His father and grandfather were lawyers, while his siblings held positions as ministers and vice-governors. This background contrasts with the image of Bielsa you might see on the sidelines: a simple figure, often clad in a tracksuit and sitting on a cooler.
At 16, Bielsa left home to pursue a career as a defender. He played for Newell’s Old Boys and the Argentina under-23 team but retired at 25 to focus on coaching.
Known for his philosophical approach and complex discourse, Bielsa is capable of holding press conferences for hours. This, combined with his bold playing style, has earned him the nickname “El Loco” (The Crazy One). He once remarked, “Of the hypotheses foreseen in the dictionary, they chose the mildest one.”
After nearly a decade as a scout and youth coach at Newell’s Old Boys, Bielsa took charge of the first team in 1990 and made an immediate impact. His tenure saw Newell’s win the Torneo Apertura in 1990 and the Torneo Clausura in 1992, and reach the final of the Copa Libertadores in 1992. His achievements were so impressive that, in 2013, the stadium was renamed Estádio Marcelo Bielsa, after 98 years without an official name.
A particularly memorable period of his career was his time as Argentina’s national coach from 1998 to 2004. During a severe financial crisis in Argentina, the national team was eliminated in the group stage of the 2002 World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan. Bielsa retreated to a farm for three months to reflect, running ten kilometers a day and immersing himself in books. When discovered by the newspaper Olé, he refused to speak to them, prompting a historic headline: “Marcelo, we are your friends.”
The Argentine public recognized Bielsa’s deep disappointment and applauded him when he returned in 2004 to lead Argentina to Olympic gold. He then took charge of Chile, leading them to defeat Argentina (with Messi on the field). This prompted another historic headline from Olé: “We are nothing.” Bielsa’s Chile not only achieved a historic victory over Argentina whilst qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. In the summer of 2011, Bielsa returned to Europe, specifically Spain, after a brief stint with Espanyol in 1998. He once again made an impression by guiding Athletic Bilbao to the Europa League and Copa del Rey finals in the 2011-12 season and enhancing the careers of players like Javi Martínez and Fernando Llorente.
More recently, Bielsa led Leeds United to the Premier League in 2020, and a street in the city was named Marcelo Bielsa Way in his honor. The previous year, Leeds came close to promotion but faced controversy when Bielsa instructed his players to allow an injured opponent to score, resulting in a 1-1 draw that prevented direct promotion. Despite this, Bielsa’s actions earned him the FIFA Fair Play award. He also faced a fine of £200,000 for sending a spy to Derby County’s training ground, breaching Premier League regulations.
Bielsa’s most recent achievement came in 2024, when he guided the Uruguay national team to third place at CONMEBOL Copa America, beating Canada in the Third Place Playoff after losing to Brazil in the Quarter Finals. At 69 years old in 2024, Bielsa remains ready for the next chapter of his illustrious career, continuing to inspire with his passion and commitment to the game.
