'It was something' - Inside ex-Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa's emotional meeting with fans

Bielsa was sacked from his position at Elland Road in February as majority owner Andrea Radrizzani made a change he felt was necessary to stave off the threat of relegation.

The head coach's sudden departure from Thorp Arch restricted the number of fans who were able to say their farewells but this week's planned guest speaker appearance at a national coaching seminar was too good of an opportunity for Norwegian supporters to miss and a meeting with Bielsa was requested through the Norwegian Football Coaches Association.

Bielsa's only condition was that the event must be free for fans and it was agreed that 100 could attend.

To celebrate his presence in their country, the Leeds United Supporters Club of Scandinavia gathered messages of thanks for the 67-year-old and took out double page advertisements in Dagbladet and Klassekampen newspapers.

And on Friday afternoon Bielsa met with his still-adoring Leeds public.

He was greeted with the gift of an ornamental Viking ship from Anders Palm of LUSCOS, the Norwegian explaining to the Argentine that it felt fitting to give 'El Loco' a token that represented the Vikings' wildness.

Erik Heisholt was one of those in attendance.

"It was something, I tell you," he said.

"I don't know how to describe it to be quite honest, he was unexpectedly emotional and personal, I must say."

Bielsa was so emotional in fact that midway through his lengthy address to supporters he requested that people did not share videos.

"It was because this was a conversation between him as a person and the Leeds supporters as one person, and it became very emotional," Erik told the YEP.

"So it was, I would say, being a Leeds supporter reading all the tweets from English supporters to those all over, it was a real, proper, proper goodbye. It was a thank you. There was mutual respect, so the audience and Bielsa were moved."

A Leeds supporter since the mid 70s, Erik's first game took place in February 1991 when the Whites took on Arsenal in an incredible run of four FA Cup ties due to the replay rule that has since been abolished.

He recalls walking, through snow that made public transport all but impossible, from Trafalgar Square to Highbury and, hiding his scarf, bought a ticket in the home end.

Like so many Scandinavians, Erik's love affair has lasted decades and Bielsa played a huge part in keeping it alive.

"Obviously there's a difference between living your life and being born and bred in Leeds and West Yorkshire, and being a supporter from another country, but we are so often in Leeds, many of us love the city and love the people and the culture and we have so many friends there," he said.

"I started flying over in my early 20s, like so many of us, and we are die-hard supporters really.

"When Bielsa was sacked in February it was like losing a family member. Even if we had lost those games so badly in that run, it was still so shocking.

"He was there and then he was gone and he had left this mark on the city not only on the football club, but on the people, the local community and everything. People just felt like it was never a proper goodbye, everyone wanted to see him off in a respectful way.

"So I reached out to the community when I knew he was here and asked what they would like to tell him and messages came pouring in, so I brought that to him in the form of a double-page spread in the Norwegian papers. It featured a lot of really emotional messages from Leeds fans all over the world, but mostly from Leeds."

Erik has been told that when Bielsa was presented with the ad during breakfast this morning by Teddy Moen, the head of the Norwegian Football Coaches Association, he became quiet.

"That was enough for me," said Erik.

"I showed it to him again when we met and we sat next to each other for a minute or so and had a picture and he really appreciated it."

In his speech to supporters Bielsa called his time with the club 'amazing.'

"I would have given it all to end it in a better way," said the man who led Leeds to promotion in 2020.

"I don’t think I deserve the recognition you give me, if I didn’t tell you this, I wouldn’t be honest with you. I still felt loved and respected even if we were in a negative phase. One of the strongest emotions of a human being, is being loved and loving unconditionally. What I received from you Leeds supporters is much more than I deserve.”