Leeds United’s new manager Marcelo Bielsa is held in high regard in the football world, with PeP Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino just two of the elite bosses who rate him.
And he definitely does things his own way – as was evident by a claim made by popular football site SPORF.
They claimed that after finding out that fans have to work three hours to pay for a ticket, he made the Leeds players pick up litter for three hours so they appreciate what fans go through.
?? @LUFC’s Marcelo Bielsa wanted to find out how hard fans work to pay for tickets.
? 3 hours work pays for a ticket.
? What does he do after finding that out?
? Make his players pick up litter for 3 hours.
? So they appreciate how fans labour to fulfill their passion. pic.twitter.com/RL8NG1I3tB
— SPORF (@Sporf) August 4, 2018
Is it true? We hope so and we certainly wouldn’t put it past Beisla. If not it will just add to his myth.
Leeds kick off their Championship campaign today at home to Stoke and Elland Road will be packed with fans eager to see how Bielsa has done over the summer.
Stoke are the bookies favourites to win the Championship, so it won’t be easy but fans are excited about seeing the former Argentina manager’s tactics for the first time in a competitive game.
And football fans from around the UK flocked onto Twitter to react to the SPORF claim, with one fan saying he was “bonkers but a genius”.
Here are the best reactions from fans to the Twitter claim:
Tryin to be impartial to this being a Leeds fan is obviously difficult but he's making the players appreciate what fans go through to make it to a game! What a guy! His attitude towards the game is an example that all young players and managers should follow by example #lufc #efl
— Nigel Hirtsch ?? (@Hirtschy) August 4, 2018
You can’t help but love him already! Can’t wait for tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/2OnAZYfA0t
— Leonard04? (@520_Lenny04) August 4, 2018
@nathdyer11 class
— Jamie Allen (@jamieallen_10) August 4, 2018
Mate the respect for him is unreal I’ll tag you in a article about him he’s unreal x
— Boynt's (@Boynton88) August 4, 2018
Love this man already! ?
— Jon Corr-Brett (@jonrichard89) August 4, 2018
what a guy ,brilliant idea . mot
— peter halliwell (@halliwell1320) August 4, 2018
@rhyswl the mans bonkers but a genius
— Tim Lees? (@timmoth) August 4, 2018
OPINION
Bielsa has made a big impression on the Leeds fans already and they’ll all be hoping this is true. The disconnect between players and fans might not be as big in the Championship as the Premier League, but it’s still huge, and creating a stronger link between the two can only help Leeds. Bielsa has a holistic approach to management and it will be fascinating to see how he fares against Stoke. He’s promised to attack, attack and attack and that could mean lots of goals in a thrilling encounter at Elland Road on Sunday.