MX23RW : Tuesday, April 23 08:30:27| >> :60:316:316:

Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds contract has been 'resolved' ahead of season opener

Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds contract has been 'resolved' ahead of season opener
© Reuters
Marcelo Bielsa has yet to sign a new deal but is focused on his club's trip to Old Trafford on Saturday.

Marcelo Bielsa has declared his contract situation at Leeds "resolved" ahead of their Premier League opener away to Manchester United on Saturday but is yet to put pen to paper.

The Leeds boss prefers one-year deals and only signed his previous contract on the eve of last season's curtain raiser so there has been little concern about his situation.

But it was not until a press conference on Thursday that the 66-year-old publicly made his position known.

"The contract situation is one that is already resolved," Bielsa said through a translator.

"One year is habitual."

The club's chief executive Angus Kinnear has claimed Bielsa's willingness to let his contract situation rumble on is due to his "lack of interest in it" as he focuses on preparing his team.

Speaking after Bielsa, defender Robin Koch welcomed the news but indicated it had never been a concern for the players.

"Of course we are happy he's here for another season," the Germany international said.

"I didn't think he would leave, it's nothing surprising for me, but of course we are happy."

Seeing out a fourth season will mean Bielsa will have been in charge of Leeds for longer than any other club in his career bar his decade-long stay with Newell's Old Boys' youth side before stepping up to the senior role.

But asked if that indicated a special bond, Bielsa demurred, warning he risked playing to the crowd with his answer.

"The answer I would like to give is when I no longer work here," he said. "Being inside the institution you run the risk that your answer is seen as demagoguery and a way of capturing the sympathy of the fans.

"After you stop belonging to an institution, that is the moment you can talk about the feelings that have linked you to this club."

But the Argentinian was not short of reasons why he wanted to stay at Elland Road, praising the club's "extraordinary" willingness to invest in training facilities and infrastructure to give him the tools he needs as a coach.

"It's not often you have a club that designates so much volume of investment to the improvement of the training facilities," he said.

"Leeds have made a significant contribution economically to provide the tools for a manager to prepare the players to be the ideal ones.

"Everything we need in this area, the club has resolved it with very high investment...I'm astounded by the conduct of the club."

Leeds have also invested in Bielsa's playing squad this summer, making Jack Harrison's loan from Manchester City permanent, bringing in Junior Firpo from Barcelona, and also completing deals for youngsters Amari Miller, Lewis Bate, Kristoffer Klaesson and Sean McGurk.

Though they continue to be linked with other deals, Bielsa declared himself happy with his current options.

"I'm satisfied with the group I'm working with," he said.

"I couldn't tell you about hypothetical situations, but what I can tell you is the group of players I have I'm happy with."

A trip to Old Trafford on Saturday will bring back painful memories of last season's 6-2 loss to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.

That defeat left Bielsa's side 14th in the table, but they would never be so low again on their way to a ninth-placed finish.

To finish in the top half in the first season after promotion offers a solid platform, but Bielsa declined to say what would represent success this time around.

"My position is not to refer myself to things that have not happened," he said. "I don't want to run the risk that reality does not coincide with what I think, especially in a sport like football which is very unexpected."

ID:459107:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect4122:

Click here for more stories about Marcelo Bielsa

Click here for more stories about Leeds United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta reacts on August 8, 2021
Read Next:
5 talking points as Premier League gets set to return with packed stadiums
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
Read more about Marcelo Bielsa Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leicester CityLeicester432941081394291
2Leeds UnitedLeeds44279880374390
3Ipswich TownIpswich432611685533289
4Southampton43259985562984
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom4420121267442372
6Norwich CityNorwich442191477611672
7Hull City431812136254866
8Coventry CityCoventry4217121366521463
9Middlesbrough44189176460463
10Preston North EndPreston44189175661-563
11Cardiff CityCardiff44195205061-1162
12Bristol City441611175147459
13Sunderland44168205251156
14Swansea CitySwansea441511185762-556
15Watford441217155958153
16Millwall441411194355-1253
17Stoke CityStoke441311204460-1650
18Queens Park RangersQPR441311204157-1650
19Blackburn RoversBlackburn441310215874-1649
20Plymouth ArgylePlymouth441212205869-1148
21Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds44138233968-2947
22Birmingham CityBirmingham441210224864-1646
23Huddersfield TownHuddersfield44917184774-2744
RRotherham UnitedRotherham44412283285-5324


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!