All the hits were played by Marcelo Bielsa in his first press conference since leaving Leeds United. The Argentine was appointed as Uruguay’s new head coach this week and unveiled in Montevideo at a briefing on Wednesday afternoon.
The 67-year-old hit upon many of the themes Leeds fans grew accustomed to in his four-and-a-half years at Elland Road. There was the standard self-deprecation when it was put to Bielsa he was among the very best coaches in the world.
“In the world of football there are 20 great teams and I did not direct any of them nor did they offer them to me,” he said. “How could I be one of the great coaches in the world and never manage one?
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“I am not one of the great coaches in the world and this indisputable rule verifies it. What we human beings want is to be loved, there is no human being who does not fight to arouse affection. In football, it is achieved by installing unforgettable memories in the collective memory and the only way is by winning.”
Bielsa was also given the platform to air his typical views on the direction of modern football. Journalists, coaches and administrators in the game were given short shrift. Supporters, as was the case in West Yorkshire, are the centre of the game for the Argentine.
“Football is the people and the players and then there are those who mediate between the people and the players,” he said. “Those who mediate are the coaches, journalists and leaders.
“Those are the worst in football clearly, that is verified, but that is clearly verifiable. It has more and more followers and has more followers that allow a fan to fall in love with the game.
“Three-minute summaries are not the game. If one lives with the wife on Saturday nights, it is not a marriage. If you see soccer in highlights, how can you not like soccer?
“Football is supported by the fans. For football to be valid we must avoid destroying it. The coaches, leaders and journalists do everything possible to make football worse and worse and we are achieving it from my point of view.
“The clearest expression is there are fewer and fewer players worth watching. For the exorbitant values that are paid for those who play well, not even the powerful of the English league can maintain tradition and not be absorbed by fashion.”
Bielsa’s Uruguay first take to the field on June 15 against Nicaragua in a friendly.
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