Leeds United undertook an astonishing four-day interview with new manager Marcelo Bielsa before he was appointed as the man in charge, according to Sky Sports’ Jim White.
The broadcaster’s reporter claims on his personal Twitter account that the Whites spent over half a week in discussions with the former Lille boss over taking over at Elland Road, with negotiations also conducted in his home country of Argentina.
Done deal! After four-day interview and talks in Argentina, Marcelo Bielsa is new head coach of @LUFC – two year deal plus option of further year.
— Jim White (@JimWhite) June 15, 2018
White reports that the veteran boss has put pen to paper on a two-year contract, which has the optional extension of another year on top, with a deal being confirmed via the club’s Twitter account on Friday morning.
?? | #LUFC are delighted to announce the appointment of Argentine Marcelo Bielsa in the role of head coach
— Leeds United (@LUFC) June 15, 2018
Opinion
It would have been fascinating to have been a fly on the wall in those elongated talks, to find out exactly what was discussed and why they took so long. There was no doubt an in-depth analysis conducted of the first team by the Argentine boss and it could well have been that he needed convincing that the Whites, under owner Andrea Radrizzani, could fulfil his ambitions in England’s second tier. It is a new chapter for the club after a difficult 12 months, but while there could have been criticism thrown the way of the Italian chief, he has done all he can to provide an exciting step forward this summer. Now it is time for Bielsa to prove his worth and get Leeds firing on all cylinders during the next campaign – although there is the small matter of the transfer window to navigate first. Hold on to your hats Leeds fans, for there is likely to be a whirlwind of activity at Elland Road over the coming months.