Bielsa resigns

[peekay]

Reports in Spain suggest that Athletic Bilbao manager Marcelo Bielsa has resigned after the club failed to support him over an altercation with construction staff.

Bielsa returned for pre-season training ahead of the 2012-13 season to find the club's Lezama training centre resembling a construction site and was involved in a furious row with construction staff.
"The condition of Lezama is an insult to the players and I am responsible for them," Bielsa explained. "I was indignant because that was not recognised and began to say offensive things. I don't respect him because he did a bad job."

Athletic, though, were quick to issue a statement and distance themselves from the Argentine manager's statement, insisting works had been conducted in a satisfactory manner.
"Athletic Bilbao do not share the personal and subjective opinion expressed by Marcelo Bielsa in [Thursday's] press conference with regards to the construction work, the extent to which the contract has been honoured and the professionalism of the people involved," a club statement read.

"We would like to state that the works contract has been fulfilled correctly up until the current date, so we would like to publicly apologise for any damage that the comments made by an employee of this club may have caused to the construction company and its workers."

Bielsa led Athletic to the Europa League final in his first season at the San Mames in 2011-12, winning plaudits for his side's performances along the way. Now, though, he looks set to depart after just one season at the Basque outfit.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/s...bilbao-manager-marcelo-bielsa-resigns?cc=5901

 

[the count]

Rafa?

 

[Modo]

Rafa?

indeed.

 

[Holle]

At least he wouldn't be able to fuck up in the transfer market.

 

[the count]

At least he wouldn't be able to fuck up in the transfer market.

Well he wouldn't do his team any favours if he sold Munian and Hererra to his old love Liverpool on the cheap

 

[Judge Jules]

It would mean leaving his family behind, so I doubt it. Maybe he might for Real, but I can't see it happening for the sake of managing Bilbao.

 

[Modo]

It would mean leaving his family behind, so I doubt it. Maybe he might for Real, but I can't see it happening for the sake of managing Bilbao.

Why leave his family behind?
He's from Madrid, his wife is apparently from madrid. They're going back home.

 

[Judge Jules]

Why leave his family behind?
He's from Madrid, his wife is apparently from madrid. They're going back home.

Merseyside is their home now - Rafa's said as much publicly. When Rafa was still with us and Real came sniffing around, Montse told him that if he went there he'd have to go by himself. When he went to Inter he made it clear that it was hard to persuade his family to go. When he left there they came back to Merseyside, not to Spain.

 

[Modo]

Oh shit it's Bilbao isnt it.
Forget I said anything.

 

[tony]

Wow... considering the amazing job Bielsa job did last season and the group of players he is working with doesnt anybody else find it amazing that they fell out over something so trivial as building work!!!

 

[King Binny]

Marcelo Bielsa will go on managing Athletic de Bilbao... for the time being. In disagreement with the club over the incident of the building work at the Lezama Training Centre, the manager went this last Friday to a meeting with the board of directors, prepared to hand in his resignation.

Although the argument is still going on, the board managed to persuade Bielsa to change his mind about leaving the club, and so both manager and board of directors have, starting from now, decided on a two-week truce period.

During this fortnight Bielsa will finally decide whether to leave Bilbao or not. The manager and his assistants decided to resign on learning that a communiqué from the club accused them of lying after a press conference given by Bielsa on Thursday. Athletic de Bilbao published a statement on their website saying that the club disagreed with what Bielsa had said.

According to this statement, Athletic de Bilbao “does not, in any way, share the personal and subjective opinion expressed by Marcelo Bielsa about the progress of the building work”, and therefore publicly apologised “for the harm which might have been caused to the construction company and its workers by the declarations of an employee of Athletic de Bilbao”. Additionally, the statement totally discredited Bielsa, and made it clear “that responsibility for the control and progress of the building works resides exclusively with Athletic de Bilbao football club”.

 

[RedStar]

Imagine losing a manager as talented as Bielsa over something as ridiculous as this, Spanish football really doesnt give a fuck about managers do they? The sight of Del Bosque winning everything with Spain is a constant reminder of that fact. We do (rightly) bemoan the ownership structures of a lot of clubs in the Premiership but the running of clubs in Spain is incompetent to a farcical degree despite the fan ownership model. People often claim management is a results based business but its not in Spain, its more of a toxic mixture of results, internal politics and shambolic popularity stunts.

If this had happened 6 weeks ago I imagine he would be the strong favourite to take the Liverpool job, a week ago and he would probably be in the frame for Spurs, mental how quickly things change

 

[Hansern]

Bielsa sounds and acts like a nutter. Talented manager mind

 

[King Binny]

The eighth day of Athletic Bilbao's pre-season schedule was special. It marked the first time Marcelo Bielsa was present out on the training ground, in the squad's first tactics/technique session with the ball.

The Argentinian manager, who was involved in a high-profile bust-up with the club last week in relation to the works being carried out at the Lezama training ground, was anything but hands-on during his first day out on the turf. He kept his distance throughout, simply observing his players while his coaching staff gave the relevant orders.

As is the Argentine's wont, he prowled the training ground restlessly, inspecting the condition of the facilities and even conversing with the groundsmen. He also went over to the part of the centre where Athletic's summer camp for kids is being held.

Óscar De Marcos, meanwhile, insisted that the dressing room has not been affected by last week's turmoil. "We have kept out of all of that. The manager spoke to us the other day, but what's said in the dressing room stays in the dressing room. He's the same as ever; I don't think he's been any different to the way he was last season. He's extremely ambitious and that's what he's told us, that we have to go all out next season".

The Athletic Bilbao manager Marcelo Bielsa has posted a message on his Facebook account in response to the statement published a few days ago on the club’s website. In the post, Bielsa reiterates his version of the events surrounding the building works at the Lezama training ground and insists that he is staying in charge of the Basque club, although his relationship with the board has been altered.

"Why do the club and I have different views of the same reality, even though we’re both working towards the same goal and with the best of intentions? I can prove that everything I said is based on hard and proven facts", his message begins.

"If there was no wrong done, why can’t the first team squad make use of the facilities where pre-season is supposed to be being held to the appropriate standard and within the agreed timeframe?" Bielsa demands. "Considering the club has apologised to anyone affected by my conduct, I reiterate my commitment to personally defend my actions in the appropriate forum", the Argentinian coach adds.

"I have analysed the statement issued by the Board of Directors and discussed it with them. I can accept them undermining my authority, but not that I have distorted the truth. What’s happened changes our relationship, but I am going to carry on with my work as usual. The Sporting Director is there to handle the situations I am not responsible for. I am going to honour the commitment I made to the club”, he concludes.