MARCELO BIELSA gets completely naked and lies on top of a table for 30 minutes when his team loses, it has been revealed.
Former Liverpool star Mark Gonzalez and Chile international Jose Pedro Fuenzalida have lifted the lid on the Leeds manager’s bizarre habit.
Marcelo Bielsa liked to strip off and lie down on the treatment tableCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Gonzalez, 35, and Fuenzalida, 34, played under Bielsa during his spell in charge of the Chile squad from 2007 until 2011.
When asked to tell some good stories from their playing days, Gonzales recalled an incident after their defeat to Ecuador.
Speaking on Chile television show Abrazo de GOL, he said: “Bielsa entered the dressing room.
“He was really hot, walking up and down, not speaking with anybody. There was another dressing room next to us and he was there.
“We walked in and he was completely naked, laying on top of a treatment table like someone was going to perform surgery on him.
“He was there for about 30 minutes, totally naked.”
Fuenzalida added: “It happened to me several times. We lost a final 1-0 to Italy playing well and missing a lot of players.
“He even fought with the Italy manager. He went to the dressing room angry, and when we entered he was going mad walking around and taking off his clothes.”
Regardless of his bizarre post-match tradition, Bielsa helped Chile to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
His team reached the Round of 16 before being booted out of the competition by Brazil.
Speaking about Bielsa’s managerial approach, Fuenzalida said: “He’s a football genius but he also has a madness that you have to know how to handle.
“The pressure he puts on you before football matches is not easy to deal with.
“A lot of players are affected by it and we all get nervous. He is very demanding.”
Bielsa took charge of Leeds in 2018, but landed himself in hot water last year when he admitted all responsibility for the Spygate scandal.
He caused a huge stir after a club insider was rumbled watching Derby in training ahead of their Championship clash.
But the boss managed to keep hold of his job – and was even awarded with FIFA’s 2019 Fair Play award.
The Argentine tactician, who occasionally hosts team meetings at a local Costa Coffee, has guided his team to second in the table this term.
And luckily for Leeds’ players, they have only lost eight times in the Championship.
Brentford captain Pontus Jansson says Marcelo Bielsa is a ‘God’ and says you ‘just have to listen and learn from him’
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
