Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has declared that Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa should be respected like a World Cup winner.
Pochettino was trained by Bielsa with the Argentine national side and grew up at Newell's Old Boys, the club who named their stadium after Bielsa.
The 64-year-old is widely recognised as one of the most influential managers of his generation, despite the fact he has not lifted a top honour in European football.
That though is testament to the Leeds' boss impact, as he led the Argentina side, including a young Lionel Messi, to gold medal glory at the 2004 Olympics and led Athletic Bilbao to the Europa League final.
For Pochettino, while he might not have the top accolades that others in international and club management have, the respect for Bielsa should be just as high.
“Bielsa was an inspiration. He made us love football, motivated us to be able to follow this path as coaches. It was that, an inspiration for many of us who were led by him,” he told Pasion Celeste via Ole.
“What happens is that we live in a success-oriented society where winning for many people is almost the only thing and what matters. The processes and everything else are in the background.
“I wasn’t lucky to work with Bilardo and Menotti but having won the 78 and 86 World Cups, make both of them benchmarks for having won titles of such magnitude. It’s true that Marcelo could be included. Bielsa’s main asset is having created something different from Bilardo and Menotti. He may be a bit in the middle.
“It could be that he’s in a situation neither to one side nor the other… To be a benchmark at that level you have to win a title like a World Cup. I have a special affection for him and Marcelo can surely be a coach at their level, I can say yes. Same ability and same talent. But since today everything is measured through results, it isn’t easy for that to be accepted in a society like this.”
