Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola and sympathy for TV writers - Marcelo Bielsa's response to finding enjoyment in Leeds United's promotion bid

Marcelo Bielsa is the coach who turned a question about his devotion to plan A into an eight-minute apology to Hernan Crespo and his press conferences at Leeds United have never failed to surprise.
Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa.Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa.
Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa.

He was quizzed earlier today by Guillem Balague, the renowned Spanish journalist who was present at Thorp Arch as part of a behind-the-scenes feature being produced by BBC Five Live.

During the conversation, Bielsa was drawn into discussing how he balances the pressure of winning with finding enjoyment in football and gave a fascinating view of the way in which the game, in his opinion, is too quick to forget the achievements of managers:

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Q) You talk a lot about the process and the journey being the most important thing, and everybody enjoying the journey - that only a few teams win at the end of the season. But of course the pressure is there to win. So how do you deal with the need to win and the enjoyment of the process?

Bielsa: “Traditionally in English football you have always had the time to develop your ideas because the time allows you to get the best final result. This is contrary to today’s world.

“Nowadays, nobody has patience and the positive things you've done before are forgotten immediately. People are always expecting positive things.

“I've read an article in El Pais, I don't remember the author but the person is a thinker and this person with a lot of culture talked about this subject in an extraordinary manner.

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“This person gave the example of Real Madrid. Out of the last five Champions Leagues, they have won four of them and the last one was just some months ago but even in this case when you have won four out of five Champions Leagues, when the team stops winning there’s a crisis. It means the person who gave something, instead of getting gratitude they only develop the obligation of having to win constantly.

“This article gives another admirable example. It says that some time ago when you did a favour for someone you could feel the gratitude of the person receiving the favour. But now instead of feeling gratitude towards the person who did us a favour, people think they have the right to ask for another favour again and again. It’s easy to make a link between all these thoughts and the question you asked me.

“Not making a link between the final result and the path you choose is the only way to survive in this profession but those who value public results reject this. Those who value public results, either they praise the good things or they condemn with strength the bad things.

“This article also produced another example which is extraordinary. I’m not looking at you so I don’t find out if you’re getting bored! But I like talking about this. A TV series maker who just finished a season, instead of getting the gratitude of people watching it is being asked to make the next season. As if it was easy for Pep Guardiola to build a team at Barcelona, unforgettable, every three years.”