Leeds legend Marcelo Bielsa’s managerial return collapses after Athletic Bilbao presidential elections
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MARCELO BIELSA'S return to management has fallen through after the results of Athletic Bilbao's presidential elections were announced.
The former Leeds boss had an agreement with Inaki Arechabaleta to become the club's manager if he won the vote.
However, receiving 33.7 per cent of the vote was not enough to beat fellow contender Jon Uriarte.
He won with 44.7 per cent and claim Uriarte is lining up ex-Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde as the LaLiga side's new gaffer.
Bielsa, 66, had managed Athletic Bilbao before between 2011 and 2013.
During his time at the Basque club Bielsa guided them to a runners-up place in the Europa League and the Copa del Rey.
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The following season was disappointing as they finished 12th and he left as his contract expired after allegedly falling out with some of the club's staff.
Bielsa - who now looks unrecognisable after a body transformation - even revealed how he planned to succeed at Bilbao.
He 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.
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“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.
“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.”
However a return to Bilbao was on the cards as Arechabaleta endorsed the Argentine in his campaign to be president.
In a press conference he said: "[Bielsa] is the most respected coach in the world.
"He is also a coach for the future, although in the past he gave us the best season of this century."
But this was not enough for Arechabaleta to win and Bielsa's return to management will have to wait.
He was dismissed as Leeds boss in February despite being a popular figure at Elland Road as the team were dragged into a relegation scrap.
Meanwhile, in Valverde, Athletic Bilbao are still turning to a former manager to take charge next season.
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Valverde, 58, is something of a club legend playing 170 matches for them in his playing days.
He is now set to come back for his third spell as boss after being in charge of the club between 2003-2005 and 2013-2017.