Leeds United chief Andrea Radrizzani has hailed coach Marcelo Bielsa, saying everything the Argentine says ‘makes sense’.
Bielsa has been with Leeds since 2018, when he arrived at the then Championship club to replace sacked manager Paul Heckingbottom.
He has been a huge hit at Elland Road since narrowly avoiding promotion in his first season in charge before ending Leeds’ 16 year wait to return to the Premier League last year.
They’ve since made a flying start to life back in the top flight, further cementing Bielsa’s status as an icon in West Yorkshire.
At this point, everyone at the club is attuned to the 65-year-old’s way of thinking and Radrizzani is one of them, something which has helped their relationship.
“Marcelo has established a working method that exactly matches my ideals and values: honesty, integrity and discipline,” he told La Nacion.
“This translates into the players’ commitment on the field of play. Beyond the differences in budgets, our spirit allows you to face these big clubs face to face. Everything Marcelo says makes sense.”
“At the same time, I try to convey important messages to him about the club’s priorities.
“During the season, I am there to support you. But he knows what to do, and there is not much to tell him.”
Given Bielsa’s current icon status, and how Leeds are very much centred around him and his philosophy, there is a natural fear among the club’s fans about when that may come to an end.
The Argentine is currently on a rolling one-year contract at Elland Road, with him signing a new deal back in September.
That only runs until next summer, though, meaning they could lose their figurehead come the end of the campaign.
That’s a problem for the future, and Radrizzani insists he is not naïve enough to believe the relationship can last forever.
“I have no doubts that Marcelo is the right person to coach Leeds. I’d like to continue the cycle with him, but I’m not naive either,” he added.
“On the one hand, Marcelo is very demanding. For me, that is not a problem, and neither is it for the players, who accept their work culture and see the benefits.
“On the other hand, Marcelo is no longer young. He is 65 years old, and his family is often in Argentina. So I don’t know if he wants to stay and for how long. We analyse it every year and decide it together.
“Obviously, our preference is that it continues. If that is not possible, we will surely have other options in mind.
“But so far we have not considered these options because we believe and hope you can continue with us.”
