The Quality of Madness: A Life of Marcelo Bielsa

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Bielsa has what can only be described as disciples across the world, fans transfixed by him and the way he interprets football. They write to him, offering to work for him, and it has led Bielsa to cultivate a network of about 80. They are briefed to update him on players, teams and tactical innovations, and they help him analyse the global game. That is why, for me, he is the best coach in the world. I am looking forward to seeing him in Lille next season. I am pretty sure his influence on their team, their club and their players will be huge - amazing." The best chapter is on the ‘spy gate’ controversy. Here Rich carefully details what actually happened. In 2018, Bielsa sent a young intern to Derby County’s training grounds to spy on Derby’s pre-match training sessions. Once again Bielsa bore the brunt of the controversy, but Rich makes a convincing argument that sending one intern to an opposition training ground doesn’t mean Leeds are guaranteed a victory on match day. The effect that he has had on Leeds United, and on the city’s environs has been extraordinary. He has transformed a team floundering in mid table mediocrity in the Championship to Premiership heavyweights and fired the imagination of a whole region. New players have joined, but the team that currently hovers over the Premier League relegation zone still holds core members of the first game against Stoke City in August 2018. If loyalty has proved to be the undoing of Bielsa, it is surely a flaw worth celebrating.

Former Mexico midfielder Pavel Pardo remembers Bielsa's delight at watching his young charges push through the pain barrier at Atlas Guadalajara, where he coached after leaving Newell's in 1993. Marcelo Bielsa is one of the most respected coaches anywhere in the world. The Argentine coach has been named as the influence behind many coaches such as Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino. The man names ‘El Loco’ (The Crazy One) has provided us with an energetic and intense philosophy both in and out of possession, that is most recognisable by its high-intensity sprints and its man-to-man marking system throughout the pitch. I don't have the intensity you need to be by his side," says Lunari. "I am passionate about football, but I am not thinking about the game 24 hours a day, and I believe that to be working next to him, one needs to have a special type of dedication.It's Bielsa's rigidity that works against him and after the first season we all thought: 'There goes Bielsa again, almost but not quite,'" says Mora y Araujo. "But now he has done it, and I think that's incredibly redeeming for him personally and for the club." After the game, Marcelo approached my dad and asked him to enlist me to play at Newell's," says Lunari. He has a book of training drills and in the whole time we were with him we never once repeated a drill," says Pardo, who won 146 caps for his country. "After a drill, we would meet in the middle of the field and we could hardly breathe. He would be really happy to see us like that." Discussing a football manager in such reverential terms might seem hyperbolic. However, what Bielsa has done for the club and the city in many ways transcends sport. He is a man who sees the corporate, avaricious, sportswashing modern game for what it is, yet managed to navigate his way through it all and still hold on to his principles: decency, humility and an unwavering work ethic.

After missing out on promotion during a season derailed by the 'Spygate' scandal , they maintained focus through the Covid-19 shutdown and secured their Premier League status with two games to spare, sweeping aside most opponents with their possession-based style.Each chapter has extensive analysis for a tactical situation based on Marcelo Bielsa's tactics and is then followed by a full session to help all coaches adapt the tactics into training sessions for their team. We were exhausted," says defender Rod Fanni. "Mentally, it's very difficult to repeat the same things every day. You have to be strong because it's a bit like a factory. You go there, you repeat, you repeat, you repeat and you go home. Bielsa certainly seems to be warming to his current level of hero worship. Hours after promotion was secured he was filmed elbow pumping fans and posing for selfies outside his home in Wetherby before being serenaded by the players at Elland Road.