Marcelo Bielsa is a professional football manager from Argentina who led Leeds United to promotion to the Premier League in 2020 after a 16-year absence. Also known by his nickname El Loco, he is also a former player who was a formidable defender for Instituto de Córdoba, Newell’s Old Boys and Argentino. He has managed the national teams of Argentina and Chile – improving the results of the Chile national team where he achieved cult status. Bielsa has also managed several football clubs before Leeds including Vélez Sarsfield, Marseille, Lazio and Lille.

Born in Rosario, Argentina, Biesla retired at the early age of 25 after playing for Newell’s Old Boys’ First Division team, an Argentine sports club based in Rosario, Santa Fe. He honed his coaching career as coach of Newell’s Old Boys where he led the side to several victories in the early 1990s before moving the Mexico to manage Club América and Club Atlas. After returning to Argentina he guided Vélez Sarsfield to a league title (the 1998 Clausura) and in 1998 he was appointed manager of the Argentina national team. He stayed in the position for 6 years and helped the side become the first Latin American team to win the Olympic football title since 1928.

In 2007 he became manager of the Chile national side, his personality and impressive results capturing the attention of the media around the world. Bielsa joined Championship Leeds as head coach in 2018, and has already cemented his status as a legend at the club after guiding the side to a long-awaited promotion to the top flight of English football.