Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa ( born July 21, 1955 in Rosario, nicknamed El Loco Bielsa, " The Crazy Bielsa " ) is a former football player, who was from 1998 to 2004 coach of the Argentine national football team and 2007-2010 coach of the Chilean national soccer team. His brother Rafael was between 2003 and 2005 Argentine foreign minister.
Career
Bielsa played in the first Argentine league at Newell 's Old Boys in defense and later at Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba and Club Atlético Argentino de Rosario. In Newell's Old Boys in 1980 he began his career as a coach. In 1991 and 1992 he won with Newell's, the Argentine Championship and 1992 he failed only in the final of the Copa Libertadores. He then took over the Mexican clubs Atlas Guadalajara and Club América, before he again returned to his homeland, where he won the title in the Clausura 1998 CA Velez Sarsfield. After a brief period at Espanyol he took over in 1998, he remained the fortunes of the national team, succeeding Daniel Passarella and led the Argentine selection to group victory in the South American qualifying for the World Cup 2002. Despite the disappointing retirement in the first round Bielsa coach of the Albiceleste. In 2004, Argentina was under Bielsa second in the Copa America and won at the Summer Olympic Games in Athens, the gold medal. After these successes Bielsa resigned surprising and José Pekerman became his successor.
On August 11, 2007 Bielsa was coach of the Chilean national soccer team, which he took over from Nelson Acosta. With an offensive character his team finished second in the South American qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup in 2010 with 33 points and only one point behind Brazil in second place. With the initial qualification of the Chilean national team since 1998, the El Loco Bielsa called Argentines was practically a national hero of Chile. At the World Cup in Chile was a preliminary round group with Spain, Switzerland and Honduras and second difference in the result in the second round against Brazil from. In February 2011, Bielsa ended his work as coach of the Chilean national team.
For the 2011/12 season Bielsa took over the Spanish side Athletic Bilbao. While in the league just a disappointing tenth place was reached, Bielsa led the club for the second time in the club's history in the final of the UEFA Europa League as well as in the final of the Copa del Rey. Both finals were clearly lost, however. By participating in the Spanish Cup final, the club again qualified for the Europa League. Before the start of the 2012/13 season was after disagreements with the Board of Directors of a resignation Bielsa's speech. However, he remained until the end of the season coach of the Basques and finished the season in twelfth place in the table. Bielsa's expiring contract was subsequently not renewed.
Achievements
- Argentine champion in 1991 and 1992 with Newell's Old Boys
- Gold medal at the 2004 Olympics with Argentina