Harder than a Championship match - Marcelo Bielsa's Murderball in the words of Leeds United players Liam Cooper, Mateusz Klich and Adam Forshaw

The very name given to a staple activity of Marcelo Bielsa’s training schedule is enough to send shivers down the spine.
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It is called Murderball and the best way to describe it is football, but harder.

When Leeds United players are asked to talk about the ways in which Bielsa has changed things around Thorp Arch, the impact his methods have had on their physical condition, Murderball frequently crops up.

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The name for the session was coined by the players themselves – it is difficult to imagine Bielsa himself even saying the word, a Spanish equivalent or otherwise.

It throws up vaguely unpleasant playground memories of footballs being hurled or punted in the direction of some poor unfortunate.

There was another variation, where two teams battled to advance one ball from their respective end of the field to the other, by any means necessary.

And it became the tag by which wheelchair rugby, the Paralympics’ most brutal sport, came to prominence, thanks to a hugely entertaining 2005 documentary of the same name.

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At Thorp Arch it is a device Bielsa has crafted to make a 90 minute game of Championship football feel like a walk in the park for his Leeds United players.

Marcelo Bielsa's Wednesday training schedule includes a gruelling session players have dubbed 'Murderball'Marcelo Bielsa's Wednesday training schedule includes a gruelling session players have dubbed 'Murderball'
Marcelo Bielsa's Wednesday training schedule includes a gruelling session players have dubbed 'Murderball'

It is non-stop, intensive bursts of regular football.

Two teams of 11, one ball.

Bielsa’s coaching staff take on a dual role; ball boys who ensure that even when the ball goes out of play, another is instantly available and the action does not have to pause and sergeant majors who ensure the players don’t pause for unscheduled breathers.

It’s murder for the legs and the lungs.

“We usually do four or five five minute segments,” said Liam Cooper. “It’s organised chaos. The running stats are the highest they’ll ever be all week.”

But the method in the madness becomes clear on a matchday.

“The physical output is unbelievable but when you get to the game that’s the easiest part, no other team plays with the intensity we train with,” added Cooper.

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“That’s why we dominate teams the way we do, we train with such an intensity, no other team matches that.”

Mateusz Klich, a wry almost sardonic smile on his face, concurs with his club captain Cooper.

“The intensity of the Wednesday games is higher than the match,” he said.

“It’s easier for us to play on Saturday than Wednesday.

“It’s 11 v 11 non stop, constantly running around, sprinting, you have coaches on the pitch screaming at you, you can’t stop running.

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“You have to just play football, you could be five or six minutes one time or one time 20 minutes.

“Even if the ball goes out, a member of staff is waiting with another ball to put it in, you can’t stop.”

The existence of Murderball is no new revelation for Leeds fans, it was discussed last season too.

But when Pontus Jansson got onto the topic last February – in comments he later attempted to clarify as irony on social media – his views could not be taken as a resounding endorsement.

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“On Wednesday we have something called ‘killer ball’,” he told a Swedish podcast. “It is football 11 against 11, but it is only to run as much as possible, even for me who is central defender. But then he drives on with one of the longest training sessions of a week on Thursday. When you start approaching the match you normally want to slow down a bit, but Thursday training is probably the longest we have.”

Cooper admits Leeds did struggle with what must have been a culture shock, but he says they have grown ‘accustomed’ to it.

Klich goes even further. He sees it as the week’s most pivotal activity.

“It is tough, it is the most important session for the week,” he said.

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Bielsa himself does not have to explain the value he attaches to Murderball, his demeanour while it’s taking place and the resulting fitness levels of his players speak for him and for Murderball.

“It’s hell for leather,” said midfielder Adam Forshaw.

“The manager is on us to really put the effort in. He feels it really sets us up really well for the weekend.

We probably moan about it at times but it’s definitely helped.”