The enigmatic Argentine tactician Marcelo Bielsa is much-revered all around the globe for his influence on modern football, and his relevance in the modern game has gone up a significant notch after he got the historical Leeds United back into the first tier of English football after a span of sixteen years.
Bielsa is definitely a contender for one of the most talked about personalities in the game right now, and his relevance has been well-utilized by sportswear giants Adidas, who have released limited edition Marcelo Bielsa sneakers in his native South America.
After a number of murals, garden decorations and dolls, Bielsa has been featured on his very own limited edition sneaker collection painted in Leeds United colours, featuring his signature and a picture of the Leeds manager visualized as Jesus Christ.
The comparison isn’t too far-fetched either, as it was Bielsa who revolutionized proceedings at Elland Road and built a squad who play an impressive brand of attacking football, and have earned their way back amongst the elite in the Premier League.
Leeds are presently sitting fifth in the Premier League table, having already faced the top two teams from last season in Liverpool and Manchester City.
The gulf in standard between the Championship and the Premier League is something that every newly promoted team and manager is wary of: and though it’s still early days, it is something that Leeds have seamlessly bridged, in next to no time.
Elland Road is finally back hosting the Premier League after a long wait of 16 years ever since the club went bankrupt in 2004, but the return to the top tier of English football couldn’t be any sweeter as El Loco’s defending champions of the English Championship would try to outdo expectations once again, to play in the competition where they think they belong.