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<p>Marcelo Bielsa is on the verge of returning to a managerial role, this time with Spanish side Athletic Club.</p>
<p>Despite there being no deal in place as of yet for the Argentine to return to Bilbao, Athletic Club and Marcelo Bielsa are in discussion. The speculation regarding Bielsa’s return to management comes from <a href="https:\/\/theathletic.com/news/marcelo-bielsa-athletic-bilbao/ENtvu2HrliDW/" target="_new" rel="noopener">comments regarding the Athletic Club’s presidential race</a>.</p>
<p>With the upcoming club election on June 24, presidential candidate Inaki Arechabaleta said that he will hire Bielsa should the club’s members elect him. According to the Athletic’s Dermot Corrigan, Arechabaleta is the least likely of the three candidates for president. However, that could change regarding the potential return of Bielsa.</p>
<p>Marcelo Bielsa will accept the Athletic Club managerial role should it be offered. Bizarrely, <a href="https:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXY4xrHeUSA" target="_new" rel="noopener">Bielsa recently broke down</a> Athletic Club’s current squad and how it would shape out next season.</p>
<p>During the 2021/22 Premier League season, Leeds United relieved the Argentine of his position. In late February, Leeds United went on a string of four losses conceding a total of 17 in those games. The Yorkshire club replaced Bielsa with <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2022/04/08/jesse-marsch-is-leeds-american-savior-from-relegation/">American Jesse Marsch</a> with the Whites in 16th, having played two more games than then-17th Burnley.</p>
<p>Despite the drag in performance over his last games, Bielsa is a club legend at Leeds. Of course, his tactics returned the club to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years. However, his presence around Elland Road clearly left an impact. In fact, Leeds fans took out a <a href="https:\/\/theathletic.com/news/leeds-fans-take-out-full-page-ad-in-argentinian-newspaper-to-thank-marcelo-bielsa/mVAURuntqouW/" target="_new" rel="noopener">full-page ad in an Argentine newspaper</a> to thank Bielsa despite the unceremonious departure from the Premier League.</p>
<p>Clearly, Bielsa is someone who understands the passion of the game. Plus, he can do it with sides that may not have the funding or talent of other clubs. Yet, he pulls the best out of those at his disposal.</p>
<h5>Familiar spot</h5>
<p>Enter Athletic Club de Bilbao. The Basque side has a strict <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/2021/08/27/athletic-club-bilbao-and-basque-nationalism-laligas-one-of-a-kind-story/">self-imposed transfer policy</a> that only allows the club to use players born or taught around the Basque nation of northern Spain.</p>
<p>Evidently,&nbsp;<em>Los Leones&nbsp;</em>understand what it means for everyone to be involved in the club. Plus, this potential manager has a history with the Basques.</p>
<p>Marcelo Bielsa managed Athletic Club for two seasons from 2011 to 2013. In that first season, Athletic Club finished runner-up in both the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Europa League. It is Athletic Club’s best finish in the Copa del Rey since winning in 1984. Similarly, the second-place finish is the best in Europa League history for Athletic Club.</p>
<h3>Marcelo Bielsa at Athletic Club</h3>
<p>In the near-decade since Bielsa left Athletic Club, much changed in the soccer world. Transfers, although perhaps not a direct correlation, dictate success. For instance, the most successful clubs in Spain, England and France have rosters dominated by players arriving via transfer.</p>
<p>Marcelo Bielsa does not have the opportunity to use that at Athletic Club. Even at Leeds, Bielsa acquired the likes of Raphinha, Jack Harrison, Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo on the transfer market. Each of those players had a key role in either securing promotion or retaining it in the Premier League.</p>
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Signing  > The Legacy <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/hashtag/bielsa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#bielsa</a> <a href="https:\/\/t.co/gOHKRjKse2">https:\/\/t.co/gOHKRjKse2</a> <a href="https:\/\/t.co/ufSbAFsdvy">pic.twitter.com/ufSbAFsdvy</a></p>
<p>— LUFC Trust (@lufctrust) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/lufctrust/status/1536967765680132097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2022</a></p></blockquote></div>
<p><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Instead, Marcelo Bielsa must rely on home-grown talent specifically from the area surrounding Bilbao. Despite the geographical and cultural limits, this still opens the doors for talent at the San Mamés.</p>
<p>Currently, that means players like Iñaki Williams, Iker Muniain, Unai Simón and a young Oihan Sincet all performed well. Despite the challenges associated with the club, Athletic joins Barcelona and Real Madrid as the three clubs to never be relegated from the Spanish top flight. Excluding the Supercopa de España, Athletic Club’s last trophy came in 1984 with a league and cup double.</p>
<p>However, Marcelo Bielsa brings in tactics that got Leeds United back to its glory days. He could do the same should Athletic Club pull the trigger on his acquisition.</p>
<h5>Breaking down Bielsa</h5>
<p>It can be fun to speculate how Marcelo Bielsa fits into the plans for Athletic Club. Start with the obvious. Marcelino, the current Bilbao manager, employs a heavy press and a 4-4-2 formation. Athletic Club prefers to force players into isolation on the wing and limit options for assistance. At Leeds, Bielsa opted for a similar strategy. More often than not, Leeds players would defend players one-on-one, forcing the opposition to beat the defending Leeds player himself.</p>
<p>While Leeds and Athletic Club both executed counter-attacking style, possession is not necessarily hard to come by. In fact, Leeds had the <a href="https:\/\/www.fotmob.com/leagues/47/stats/season/15382/teams/possession_percentage/premier-league" target="_new" rel="noopener">fourth-highest average possession percentage</a> in the Premier League during Bielsa’s full year in the English top flight, 2020/21. This past season, Athletic Club hovered around the <a href="https:\/\/fbref.com/en/comps/12/possession/La-Liga-Stats" target="_new" rel="noopener">middle of the LaLiga pack</a> in terms of possession at 48%.</p>
<p>The press has its flaws. Across-the-field play and line-splitting passes put the defensive back line under pressure quickly. If the press does not lead to quick goals, it can be tiresome on the players. Moreover, there is reason to believe this could yield <a href="https:\/\/theathletic.com/news/marsch-training-methods-under-bielsa-led-to-leedss-injury-crisis/OTAxS2A4prMI/" target="_new" rel="noopener">long-term damage and injuries</a> to players. That strenuous nature persisted the <a href="https:\/\/www.youtube.com/watch?v=85bJmlSthNk&amp;t=36s" target="_new" rel="noopener">last time Bielsa managed in LaLiga</a>.</p>
<h5>Impact on LaLiga</h5>
<p>While LaLiga has little to no say over whether or not Athletic Club brings on Marcelo Bielsa, the league surely welcomes his arrival.</p>
<p>Marcelo Bielsa developed a strong following during his time at Leeds. He is a passionate manager that has worldwide recognition. Admittedly, he does not have the acclaim or success of a coach like Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho, Zinedine Zidane or Carlo Ancelotti, he does have acclaim. In the last 15 years, he has managerial experience in Spain, England, Italy, France and internationally with Chile.</p>
<p>That experience brings in eyes based solely on experience from previous positions. LaLiga wants more eyes, and this could be an example of a manager pulling audiences.</p>
<p>After missing out on both Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, Bielsa could be a storyline to follow in LaLiga.</p>
<p><em>PHOTO: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images</em></p>


Marcelo Bielsa could be returning as a manager to Athletic Club. He is a fine fit for the club, and perhaps much-needed in LaLiga.

Marcelo Bielsa to LaLiga? Fan favorite may return to Athletic Club - World Soccer Talk

Marcelo Bielsa to LaLiga? Fan favorite may return to Athletic Club

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<p>Athletic Club and Basque nationalism are intertwined.</p>
<p>As in the case with other groups in Spain, independence and nationalism take root in people’s lives. Take, for example, <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2015/09/22/what-would-catalan-independence-do-to-la-liga-barcelona/">Catalonia</a>. The northeast portion of Spain is an autonomous government. This means that, more or less, they own relative independence from Spain. Granted, the area is still&nbsp;<em>inside</em> the country of Spain, but in many ways it seems like its own nation.</p>
<p>The Basque country is similar in many ways. One of the northern autonomous communities of Spain, the Basque country does not fall into the stereotypical picture of Spain.</p>
<p>The Basque Country and Catalonia differ significantly in one way in particular. Their international appeal and historical significance. Barcelona and Catalonia are economically and socially vibrant. They want to bring things to the world both domestically and internationally.</p>
<p>The Basque Country wants to ensure <a href="https:\/\/www.ft.com/content/3ec93f84-a2a1-11e9-974c-ad1c6ab5efd1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">domestic prosperity above all</a>. Promoting Basque identities, culture and success to ensure autarky.</p>
<p>This philosophy propagates through one of the major soccer clubs in the area, Athletic Club. Basque nationalism and Athletic Club go hand-in-hand. Many people now know the Basque team for their strict policies regarding what players they field.</p>
<p>Moreover, the rule generally goes that the club only plays athletes born in the Basque Country or players who came up through Basque youth systems. This rule causes dilemmas every so often regarding some players’ eligibilities to play for Athletic Club.</p>
<p>This is a deep-rooted tradition. It demonstrates Athletic Club and Basque nationalism, but also how to run a club without the same opportunities as those with significant money.</p>
<h3>Athletic Club and Basque heritage</h3>
<p>Athletic Bilbao did not always resort to only using players rooted in the area. Early photos of the club show the last time true internationals played for&nbsp;<em>Los Leones</em>. In fact, early on in their existence, Bilbao welcomed English players. They believed that the sport came from England, so the best players come from England.</p>
<p>However, in 1912, officials accused Athletic Club of fielding ineligible players in a cup match. With their <a href="http:\/\/inbedwithmaradona.com/retro/2012/7/4/the-history-of-athletic-bilbao-1898-1936.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">title temporarily stripped</a>, Bilbao protested and adopted a new motto.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Con cantera y afición, no hace falta importación.</strong></em></p>
<p>In English, this translates to “with home-grown talent and support, there is no need for imports.”</p>
<div id="attachment_342965" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-342965" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-342965 size-medium" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210827_WST_342953_Basque-Flag-300x300.webp&amp;width=300&amp;height=300" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Basque-Flag-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Basque-Flag-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Basque-Flag.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px"></figure></div><p id="caption-attachment-342965" class="wp-caption-text">The Basque Country flag is a common sight at Athletic Club games and rallies.</p></div>
<p>In many ways, this reflects the political ideology of the Basque Country. Athletic Club and Basque nationalism promote the idea that belief and support domestically can allow a community or group to thrive.</p>
<p>Fans of Athletic Club hold their Basque identity so dear that many would rather the club see relegation than lose their tradition. A symbol of independence in an increasingly international game.</p>
<p>Fortunately for the club and its supporters, the club is one of three to never be relegated from Spain’s top division. They hold that honor with the two giants of the league, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.</p>
<p>Throughout its history, Athletic Club resembled the Basque Country and the independent nature of the region. The other major club in the Basque Country, Real Sociedad, followed a similar policy <a href="http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk/oxford/content/articles/2007/04/25/john_aldridge.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">up until 1989</a>, when they signed John Aldridge from Liverpool.</p>
<p>Still, the policy hinders the club from acquiring any player on the market.</p>
<h3>Success without massive transfers</h3>
<p>Athletic Club holds a unique opportunity that almost every other club in Europe does not have. Most of the time, the club does not reuse incoming transfer money to buy players. This means that Athletic Club hold all the bargaining power when making deals. Essentially, the club has no reason to sell a player for less than the contract’s release clause.</p>
<p>Most money acquired through transfers, including recent departures such as <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2018/08/07/bilbaos-kepa-set-to-join-chelsea-as-courtois-replacement-reports/">Kepa Arrizabalaga to Chelsea</a> for $88 million, is spent on upgrading the youth academy. Albeit, some money is used on transfers, including the acquisition of Yuri Berchiche from Paris Saint Germain for $26.4 million.</p>
<p>Many former players say the money is merely an added bonus to an already stable, and profitable, club.</p>
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<p>“We don’t really need the money,” Josu Urrutia, a former midfielder and seven-year President of Athletic Club, said.</p>
<p>Still, the youth academy harbors the majority of the club’s successes. And, considering the relatively limited pool of players to choose from, Athletic Club’s recent success is impressive.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/where-to-watch-la-liga-on-us-tv-and-internet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>READ MORE</strong></em><strong>:</strong></a>&nbsp;<em>Where to Watch LaLiga on U.S. TV.</em></p>
<p>Remember that Athletic Club and Basque players are a tandem. For one, the club is still in the top division, having never been relegated. In 2012, Bilbao reached the UEFA Europa League Final, losing to Atletico Madrid. The club then went on a run of four-straight seasons of European competition. Their most successful venture came through a quarterfinals appearance in 2015/16.</p>
<p>Domestically, Athletic Club ranks <a href="https:\/\/en.as.com/en/2021/05/22/soccer/1621713826_538381.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fourth all-time</a> in LaLiga championships with eight. The club won 23 Copa del Rey titles in their history, good for <a href="https:\/\/www.statista.com/statistics/782073/copa-del-rey-list-of-soccer-teams-that-won-the-title-in-spain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second all-time</a> to just FC Barcelona’s 31. And, in terms of recent success, Athletic Club holds the Supercopa de España. Los Leones beat FC Barcelona to claim their <a href="https:\/\/interestingfootball.com/spanish-super-cup-winners-list-champions-of-supercopa-de-espana-in-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">third title</a> in the competition.</p>
<h3>Promotion through academy and discrimination claims</h3>
<p>All the aforementioned success from Athletic Club and Basque players is admirable. It is more impressive when taking into account the circumstances. Athletic Club grows their players through the academy. It is rare to see a player at the San Mamés Stadium in red and white not be of Basque heritage.</p>
<p>The club is a sense of pride for the youth. Many consider it the highest honor to represent the Basque country through Athletic Club.</p>
<div id="attachment_342963" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-342963" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-342963" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20210827_WST_342953_Lezama-Arches-300x169.webp&amp;width=300&amp;height=169" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Lezama-Arches-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Lezama-Arches-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Lezama-Arches-150x84.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Lezama-Arches-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Lezama-Arches-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/08/Lezama-Arches.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px"></figure></div><p id="caption-attachment-342963" class="wp-caption-text">The famous arches signal Lezama, the club’s training facilities.</p></div>
<p>Lezama, the club’s youth academy, continually pumps out first-team players. Due to recent success, European clubs bought a handful of the better talents. However, that only speaks to the potential and power of the youth academy.</p>
<p>The message behind Lezama is to promote not only players, but also professionals and humans for Athletic Club and Basque country.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>“Athletic Club counts on a vast array of talented individuals to ensure our young players are given an all-round education which prepares them not only for the elite level of football but for life in general,”</em> reads the club’s website.</p></blockquote>
<p>An honorable deed, but one that draws some ire. Soccer is a progressive sport for much of the world. For better and worse, the Basque country is not a popular spot for immigrants.</p>
<p>The people in the Basque Country are not racist, it simply speaks to their independent ideology.</p>
<p>Still, Athletic Club was the last club to field a black player. Remarkably, <a href="https:\/\/www.si.com/more-sports/2011/11/23/jonas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this did not happen until 2011</a>, when Ramalho made a substitute appearance for the club. Four years later, Iñaki Williams became the first black goal-scorer for the club.</p>
<p>Athletic Club and Basque culture’s consistency of success is exceptional, but shall be tested as the game becomes dominated by big money.</p>
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Athletic Club and Basque heritage go hand-in-hand. Their policy to play athletes from the Basque country seems risky in theory, but succesful in practice.

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Marcelo Bielsa to LaLiga? Fan favorite may return to Athletic Club

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Athletic Club Bilbao and Basque nationalism