Marcelo Bielsa Is A 'World-Class Manager' And 'Needs To Be At A Big Club' Instead Of Leeds United

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has been hailed as a "world-class manager" and "should" be at a massive European club like Barcelona.

That is according to Jamie O'Hara, who has claimed that Leeds are "very lucky to have him."

Bielsa, 66, succeeded Paul Heckingbottom as Leeds head coach in 2018 and has played an instrumental role in their recent success.

Leeds narrowly missed out on Premier League promotion in their first season under Bielsa after a semi-final play-off defeat to Derby County.

Bielsa continued to spearhead Leeds' Premier League ambitions and achieved automatic promotion in the following season by winning the Championship title.

The former Athletic Bilbao and Argentina manager impressed pundits with his fantastic work last season, with Leeds finishing ninth in the Premier League table.

Bielsa's work in the dugout has earned him high admiration from the likes of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who once described him as the "most authentic manager."

O'Hara has now claimed that the Leeds head coach "needs to be at a big club," saying that "Spurs are a bigger club than Leeds."

And the 34-year-old pundit added that Leeds would struggle to keep hold of Bielsa if the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid or PSG came "knocking."

Speaking on talkSPORT, O'Hara explained: "He needs to be at a big club Bielsa, doesn't he? He needs to be at a club like Barcelona, let's be honest.

"Spurs are a bigger club than Leeds... it would be a step up. Jose Mourinho's not going to go and be Leeds manager, is he?

"I'm not saying Leeds aren't a big club and I'm not saying Bielsa needs to leave, I'm saying he should be at a club like Barcelona. He's a great manager and Leeds are very lucky to have him.

"I'd love him at Spurs but he's never going to leave Leeds to go to Spurs. Not enough ambition at Spurs.

"He's a world-class manager. I think he has a sort of love affair with that club, the town and the fans. They all love him and I think he loves them.

"But if someone like Barcelona, Real Madrid or PSG come knocking, I'm sorry, you're not staying at Leeds United, you're going."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Marcelo Bielsa, Football, Premier League, England, Leeds United, Jamie O'Hara

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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