Pep Guardiola has hailed Leeds boss as the person he admires most in world football.
The Manchester City boss takes his team to Elland Road tomorrow for a clash which many think could be a classic between two teams who only know how to attack.
The two managers have clashed three ties before, when Bielsa was in charge at Athletic Bilbao and Guardiola was head coach at Barcelona.
And when asked about his opposite number's credentials, Guardiola was full of praise.
“He is probably the person I admire the most in world football - as a manager and as a person," he said.
“I think he is the most authentic manager all the time, in terms of how he conducts his teams, like he is unique.
“Nobody can imitate him, it's impossible, especially his behaviour as a person off the pitch and related to the media.
“I was fortunate sometimes - I don't see him quite as much - now, when I get the pleasure to spend time with him, it's always inspirational for me.
“The value of the manager does not depend on how many titles he has.
“My teams won more titles than him, but in terms of knowledge of the game, I am still away from him.
“His teams are always a joy to watch, how honest they are, they always want to attack and produce good football for spectators.
But when asked if Bielsa had influenced him above all others, Guardiola replied: “No, no because I've not been with him day by day, in terms of training, so Johan Cruyff was by far the most influential coach in my life."
