Lionel Messi says former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has already managed to implement his style on Uruguay.
Bielsa went up against his native homeland Argentina in the dugout of Uruguay for the first time in the early hours of this morning, guiding them to a 2-0 win away from home.
Messi was speaking to ESPN after the match, where he claimed that Bielsa’s style is ‘very recognizable’ from across all the national teams and clubs he has managed, including Leeds.
Having beaten Brazil 2-0 in the last international break, victory over Argentina saw Uruguay end a 63-year wait for a win over both of South American football’s powerhouses in the same calendar year.
Argentina had been unbeaten at home for over seven years, had lost just one of their last 51 internationals and boasted a 100% record without conceding in qualifying, until Bielsa’s Uruguay.
Messi praise shows well respected Bielsa is
Last night was just Bielsa’s fifth competitive match in charge of Uruguay and so it is impressive how quickly he has got his side playing to his tune, which Messi praised last night.
He said: “You can see Bielsa’s hand on the way Uruguay is playing. In all the national teams or clubs, including Argentina, his style was very recognizable. And he has a good generation of players [in Uruguay].”
Praise like this shows just how lucky Leeds were to have Bielsa for three-and-a-half-years, with his time at Elland Road the longest he has spent at any club.
With how well Uruguay are performing under him, it does pose the question as to where Leeds could’ve gone under his management had he been backed more in the transfer market.
However, Leeds fans can now watch Bielsa on from afar and still enjoy some of the football he gets his sides playing.
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
