Why does Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa sit on a bucket and what is his ‘murderball’?
LEEDS fans have made Marcelo Bielsa their God since he stepped foot in Yorkshire.
The Argentine boss justified his whopping £8million-per-year salary by helping the fallen giants gain promotion to the Premier League.
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Marcelo Bielsa brings his quirks to the Premier League with LeedsCredit: AFP or licensors
First stop for ‘El Loco’ is a trip to Anfield for their opener against Liverpool.
And football fans will be eager to see him stick to his guns with his old habits – like sitting on a bucket on the touchline.
We’ll also get a glimpse of his famous pressing style, derived from a training drill called ‘murderball’.
WHY DOES BIELSA SIT ON A BUCKET?
There are said to be two reasons why the 65-year-old opts to sit on a bucket to watch his team in action.
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague recently revealed that chronic back pain was one.
“He [Bielsa] walks the four miles from his home to the training ground,” Balogue told the BBC.
“His intense walking during games and his moments of crouching down on what looks like a plastic bucket is his way of dealing with constant back pain that has not left him since his time as a player.”
Previously, it was thought Bielsa liked sitting on a bucket in the technical area because it gives him a better view of the action than in the sunken Elland Road dugouts.
It’s said he’s not a fan of standing.
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Bielsa’s touchline trademark is to watch the action while sat on a bucketCredit: Rex Features
When asked about his unusual habit, he was non-plussed.
“You want me to tell you more than what it is?” he said.
“It’s just a bucket. I have nothing to add. It’s a comfortable bucket.”
Replicas are sold in the club’s official shop.
WHAT IS BIELSA’S ‘MURDERBALL?’
Bielsa’s training sessions are what sets him apart from his contemporaries.
The demanding coach is fitness obsessed and demands his players play an intense pressing game.
That’s where his training drill ‘murderball’ comes in.
“It’s basically playing 11 v 11 with no stops,” Leeds midfielder Mateusz Klich revealed.
“Constantly running around and sprinting, and you have all the coaches on the pitch basically screaming all the time and basically you can’t stop running.
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Bielsa is fitness obsessed and puts his players through a demanding ‘murderball’ training drillCredit: PA:Press Association
“It’s just a normal game with normal rules, 11 v 11 on a big pitch. You just play, but you can’t stop running. It’s tough, but it’s the most important session in the week.
“It depends on the training how long he wants us to play. It could be five times six minutes, or one times 20 minutes. It just depends what Marcelo wants.
“Even if the ball goes out, there’s a member of staff waiting with another ball to put it in. You can’t stop.”
Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa confirms that he will be staying at the club for the next year More
