Marcelo Bielsa in line for shock return to management with Bolivia… as FA president reveals they have ‘made contact’ with former Leeds boss
- Marcelo Bielsa is in the frame for the manager’s job at the Bolivian national team
- Bolivian FA president confirms they have ‘made contact’ with Bielsa
- The Argentine was sacked by Leeds last month after four years at Elland Road
- Bielsa could return to South America after spells with Argentina and Chile
Marcelo Bielsa is being lined up for a swift return to management with the Bolivia national team – just weeks after his sacking by Leeds United.
The Argentine has held talks with the Bolivian FA regarding the vacant manager’s job, according to the body’s president Fernando Costa.
Bielsa left Elland Road at the end of last month after four years in the role following a a torrid run of results which plunged Leeds’ Premier League future into doubt.
The 66-year-old former Argentina and Chile coach may not find himself out of work for long as Costa confirmed at a recent press conference that the Bolivian FA were ‘in contact’ with Bielsa as they seek to replace Cesar Farias.
Marcelo Bielsa could be set to make a swift return to management after his sacking by Leeds
The Bolivian FA has expressed an interest in appointing Bielsa as manager of the national team
Bielsa left Elland Road after four years as Leeds manager at the end of February
‘I won’t deny that we are in touch with him,’ Costa said. ‘We have not yet had a meeting, but we are close to speaking with him.
‘We are speaking with a number of coaches, including national team managers, and listening to what they have to offer.
‘Once we have a sheaf of proposals we will evaluate them. It is important to know how much money we have available for our national teams.’
Bielsa is a revered figure at Leeds following a successful stint at Elland Road, which included guiding them to promotion by winning the Championship title in 2020.
Bielsa remains a revered figure among Leeds fans after guiding the club to promotion in 2020
‘El Loco’ led Leeds to a ninth-placed finish in their first Premier League campaign since the 2003-04 season and won many admirers outside of the club for his hold and brave style of play.
He was sacked with Leeds hovering perilously close to the relegation zone and was succeeded by American Jesse Marsch, who has won two of his four matches so far.
Bielsa has also managed Espanyol, Athletic Bilbao, Marseille, Lazio and Lille, as well as a host of clubs in Argentina and Mexico.
Bolivia’s slim hopes of qualifying for this year’s World Cup in Qatar were finally dashed following a 3-0 defeat to Colombia on Thursday.
The South American side have not reached the World Cup since the 1994 tournament in United States, where they went out in the group stage.