The marriage between Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa could not end any other way, because Bielsa is unable to do it any other way.
He is football’s pied piper. The tune he plays is so sweet and so captivating that he brings everyone along behind him, entranced by the beauty of the melody.
But he is also football’s Jay Gatsby. He is certainly Great. But there is a sense of adolescent commitment to his idea, like Gatsby’s love for Daisy, which makes his story likely to end in tragedy.
The pied piper has left himself with no other tune to play.
One of Bielsa’s best pieces of work was with the Chilean national team. He took over after the 2007 Copa America.
That year, Chile reached the semi finals of the Under-20 World Cup, with youngsters like Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal, Gary Medel and Mauricio Isla – players who, 15 years later, are still important members of the national team.
Back then they were young and hungry, ambitious and eager to learn. Bielsa put them under his spell, and Chile became a wonderful team to watch.
They charged forward, playing the game in the opponent’s half of the field, creating two against one situations down the flanks, accepting the risk of leaving themselves open to the counter attack.
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In 2010 World Cup qualification they had one problem – Brazil. With Kaka in his pomp, Brazil were a counter attacking machine at the time.
But still Chile charged forward. At home in September 2008 they were picked off by Brazil on the counter and lost 3-0. A year later in Brazil they managed to score a couple of goals – but conceded four.
And then fate brought them together again in Johannesburg, in the second round of the South Africa World Cup.
Chile’s bold approach had made them the neutral’s favourites. But it was not even close. Brazil blew them away on the counter attack once more, and strolled to a 3-0 win. Same opponent, same result, same game.
Just like in the last few weeks at Leeds, Bielsa had not changed his approach. He could not change his approach.
His very strength – the depth of his commitment to a beautiful idea – is also his weakness, because he leaves himself no room for manoeuvre when something more cautious might get him better results.
Why is he like this? Because he is his own product. First, he is from a family of illustrious lawyers. A few years ago his brother was Argentina’s Foreign Minister. This is a very different background from most in South American football.
The sport is often a battle for economic survival. Bielsa, in a non-snobbish way, is above all of this.
He has always had the freedom to walk away, giving him the freedom to set up teams that are built to attack.
Secondly, he spent a vital few years in Mexico in the early 90s, coaching Atlas and America and also working in youth development.
It took him away from the win-at-all-costs mentality of football in Argentina, and gave him space to reflect on how he wanted to go about his business.
When he returned to Argentina in 1997 it was like someone coming back from university – he was different, and much closer to his true self.
And ever since it has been a case of triumph and tragedy, of the pied piper playing a lovely melody which then goes out of tune when the goals start going in at the wrong end.
Leeds fans, though, will surely agree that for a few seasons it was fun to share Bielsa’s dream.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
