Leeds legend Marcelo Bielsa looks unrecognisable after body transformation as he prepares for Athletic Bilbao boss job
FORMER Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa looks unrecognisable after getting into tremendous shape ahead of his new role at Athletic Bilbao.
The 66-year-old Argentine was sacked by the Premier League outfit back in February after a dreadful run of form left them in a perilous position in the table.
Things worked out for Leeds in the end as Jesse Marsch came in and dramatically kept them up on the final day thanks to a 2-1 win over Brentford.
But the change of manager also appears to have galvanised Bielsa off the pitch.
The South American coach looks unbelievably trim in a video in which he discusses the excitement he has for joining Bilbao.
He has not formally been announced as the new coach, but should Inaki Arechabaleta win the club's presidential elections on Friday then Bielsa will be confirmed as the new manager.
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Bilbao finished eighth in LaLiga last season, narrowly missing out on European qualification.
Speaking about his potential new role, the ex-Leeds man said: “I am excited to think about joining a group that can give a version similar to the level we had ten years ago.
“I saw the 45 games of the season and I analysed them in all aspects.
“Ten years ago I inherited a great team from [Joaquin] Caparros, but this team is current and is more like what I usually transmit to a team than that of Caparros.
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“This team, it has a greater number of players and the quality is comparable. In the last league table, it deserved more than what it obtained. Finishing fifth would have been normal.
“In sprint it is very similar to Leeds, which was my last team, and a very important fact is that 95 per cent of the minutes that the team played were played with 18 players.”
Bielsa is known for his meticulous approach to management and claims to have already watched all of Bilbao's matches from last season.
Despite not yet being announced as the manager, he also claims to have planned pre-season.
“A five-week pre-season, the sixth week ends with the first league match,” he said.
“This year will be doubled because there is a World Cup between November and December, and then the training time, with sessions of 60 or 70 minutes, shorter and intense.
“Gym and stretching sessions are recurrent to reduce injuries, as is the daily weight report, based on diet and hydration control.”
