‘It is true’ – Phil Hay: This is what I’ve been told about Bielsa and Real Betis
There was a worrying report for Leeds United fans earlier this week about Real Betis wanting Marcelo Bielsa as their new manager at the end of the season.
One man who knows what’s going on is Athletic journalist Phil Hay.
Talking on the latest episode of the Phil Hay Show podcast, the topic got onto how Bielsa, normally quite a reserved manager, was getting more emotional and celebrating goals more on the touchline.
This comes on the back of some brilliant, if uncharacteristic, pictures of him celebrating Mateusz Klich’s goal against Middlesbrough on Twitter.
Phil Hay then shared what he’d been told about the Real Betis story – and had some good news and a warning for Leed fans.
“There was a story earlier this week about Real Betis taking an interest in Bielsa,” Hay said.
“What I loved about the story, and I’m told it is true, they do genuinely like him and they’ve got him on the list if they decide to make a change.
“But what I love about this story is that on the list it’s Bielsa and Pellegrini, and you think well it’s got Pellegrini written all over it that has.
“I got in touch with a few people close to him [Bielsa] and said ‘what do you think?’, and they said there’s no issue with this, if Leeds are going up then he’s going with them and there’s no real prospect of him not wanting to manage in the Premier League.
“But if they don’t go up then he’s finished here, and everyone knows that and he knows that and there’s no pretence this will go on for a third season.
“And because he is human and because he does feel football in the way everyone else does, and sometimes in a more extreme level, the goals must matter to him possibly more than ever before because he’s aware there isn’t going to be a third season, a third chance if this doesn’t happen.”
We absolutely love this story from Hay.
Bielsa has been such a force of good for Leeds and has obviously brought into the club completely.
It would be one of the biggest tragedies of the modern age of football if he doesn’t take Leeds up and get a crack at some of the biggest teams in the world.
Everyone knows the stakes are high this season. Leeds simply have to get promoted – to hold onto their best players, to hold onto Bielsa and to possibly hold onto Andrea Radrizzani too.
The Real Betis link shows Bielsa has options if Leeds don’t get promoted but the thought of him there just feels like all kinds of wrong, doesn’t it?
Bielsa got some criticism from fans during the recent slump. Our message to them? Clear your heads and get a grip.
In other Leeds United fans, ‘Another apology coming from the EFL’ – Some Leeds fans react to Phil Hay update: ‘Shocking’