Pablo Hernandez reveals Marcelo Bielsa influence as managerial appointment confirmed
Pablo Hernandez was recently given his first managerial job as the CD Castellon B team boss in June 2024.
However, following Johan Plat’s sacking after a poor start to the new La Liga 2 campaign, Hernandez was appointed as Castellon’s manager on an interim basis.
Following Hernandez’s heroics as Leeds won promotion to the Premier League back in 2020, the Spaniard will always be remembered as a legend for what he did on the pitch at Elland Road.
However, previous comments from the Spanish playmaker suggest he could become even more beloved in West Yorkshire if he stands by his previous comments regarding Marcelo Bielsa.
Pablo Hernandez previously planned to follow in Marcelo Bielsa’s footsteps
Hernandez has shared his desire to manage Leeds in the past, and his appointment at Castellon looks to have made his dream of returning to LS11 in a managerial capacity potentially one step closer.
Speaking in January 2024 on the El Camino del Entrenador podcast hosted by Miguel Llorente, Hernandez claimed that: “the day I become a coach, the idea and style of the game that I would like to transmit to my players has been totally influenced by Bielsa.”
Already a Spain international who had played in the Champions League and had a career most could only dream of by the time Bielsa arrived at Leeds in 2018, Hernandez could be forgiven for thinking he couldn’t level up as a player with the playmaker already in his early thirties.
“With Bielsa, for me, it was a big leap in quality, a plus that I never thought I had. Not only on a physical level, since at my age it was more difficult, but I mean in terms of understanding the game, understanding what to do in each situation.
“Bielsa has taught me many tactical aspects. He taught me how to read the game, how to plan a game, things that until I worked with him, as a player, I had never thought about all those things,” Hernandez said.
If Hernandez can implement his own version of the famed Bielsa ball that lit up Elland Road at Castellon, then supporters will be clammering to see him back at Leeds in the dugout.
Leeds should not rush any future Pablo Hernandez appointment
At just 40, Hernandez is still incredibly young for a manager, and regardless of how his interim spell at Castellon pans out, Leeds should bear this in mind.
If the Leeds legend completely turns things around at Castellon following their poor start to the season, the 49ers should not be reactionary and instantly hire the Spaniard in the likely scenario that they need a new manager come the end of the season.
Alternatively, if Hernandez’s interim spell at Castellon is unsuccessful and short-lived, he should not be written off completely as a manager.
Due to his affinity for the club, Leeds will always be an attractive destination for Hernandez, and Leeds can potentially leverage this emotional connection in the future for a potential appointment.
But for now, everyone associated with Leeds should sit back and wait to see if ‘El Mago’ can produce the same magic he did on the pitch, on the sidelines.
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