Former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa.
(Credit: Imago)
Marcelo Bielsa has remained a cult hero at Leeds United, and the team that earned promotion to the Premier League in 2020 under him will go down as a legend.
The former Leeds manager is back in the country this week to prepare the Uruguay national team to take on England in an international friendly on Friday night.
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Bielsa is a cult figure at Leeds, where he ended the club’s 16-year wait to return to the top flight in 2020 and finished in the top half of the table in his first season in the Premier League.
The team that won promotion in 2020 also share a close bond with the Argentinian, and there is an immense amount of respect towards him for what he did for their careers.
Marcelo Bielsa receives a gift from one of the Leeds United heroes
Bielsa is back in England, and a considerable number of Leeds fans are expected to be at Wembley on Friday night to watch their former manager.
The former Leeds boss transformed a few careers at Elland Road, and Mateusz Klich is one of the players who benefited from his coaching.
Marcelo Bielsa – Leeds United Managerial Record
Overall record of Marcelo Bielsa during his time as Leeds United manager
Statistic Value
Matches 170
Wins 81
Draws 30
Losses 59
Goals (For:Against) 274:238
Points 273
Points Per Match 1.61
His career was going nowhere at Elland Road. However, Bielsa got the best out of him, and he went on to star in Leeds’ promotion-winning campaign in 2020.
The Pole also looked the part in the Premier League, and Bielsa more or less saved his career and turned him into a top-flight star at Elland Road.
In new footage, Bielsa is seen receiving Mateusz Klich’s jersey that he wears for his current club Cracovia, and the happiness on his face is clear.
Things we love to see @Cli5hy pic.twitter.com/5pjlxPfsyE
— Vince (@VincentsVein) March 24, 2026
Normally a man of few words, he said, “Oh…. Thank you!”
The former Leeds manager looked pleased to get something from one of his former players, who owes his career to the Argentinian.
He has come through a storm in Uruguay
Bielsa will be working at the top level this summer when he manages Uruguay in the World Cup in North America. They were one of the first nations to qualify.
However, the situation threatened to implode towards the end of last year when several Uruguay players threatened to boycott the team if Bielsa remained manager.
Several players were unhappy with him and pushed the Uruguay FA to consider sacking him just months before the World Cup.
However, the management stuck with Bielsa, and it seems the differences have been set aside as the head coach and the players prepare for the big tournament.