While Marcelo Bielsa’s time in charge at Leeds United may have come to a sorry end, the Argentine remains a truly beloved figure among the Elland Road faithful following what was a remarkable three-and-a-half-year tenure.
The enigmatic and unique coach was initially handed the reins back in the summer of 2018, inheriting a side and a club that appeared to be going nowhere fast having finished in 13th place the year prior under Paul Heckingbottom.
Given that the Rosario-born maverick had previously held managerial positions at clubs like Marseille and Lazio, as well as the fact that the Whites had gone more than ten years without playing in the Premier League, there was probably some surprise when he decided to move down to England’s second division.
What followed was nothing short of amazing, as Bielsa’s high-octane and frantic style of play assisted in guiding the Yorkshire giants back into the promised land at the second attempt in 2019/20, having previously finished just outside the automatic promotion spots
Although a strong first season in the top division was followed by a truly disastrous start to the 2021/22 season, which resulted in the club hierarchy axing the team after notable crushing losses to teams like Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, what was a golden period in Leeds’ modern era shouldn’t be soured by that eventual, abrupt dismissal.
In addition to being a brilliant and talented tactician, Bielsa, 68, was also a player-spotter who particularly hit the jackpot with the acquisition of Raphinha, a Brazilian superstar.
The Porto Alegre-born speedster’s subsequent move to Ligue 1 team Rennes also paid off, as he produced 15 goals and assists in 36 appearances during what turned out to be his only season in France.
The wideman had apparently caught the attention of officials at Elland Road because Bielsa had singled him out as the man to give his newly promoted team that extra dash of star power.
What was Leeds’ purchase price for Raphinha?
After all, Victor Orta and company managed to buy Raphinha for around £17 million, which turned out to be a deal since the club had previously spent more money on the somewhat unknown Georginio Rutter, who
