'This is an extraordinary club' - Marcelo Bielsa addresses his Leeds United future ahead of Manchester United game - YEP 12/8/21

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Marcelo Bielsa has confirmed what Whites fans knew but wanted to hear from the man himself - he's staying at 'extraordinary' Leeds United.

By Graham Smyth

The Argentine faced the press this afternoon for the first time since last season and addressed his future, briefly, ahead of Saturday's Premier League opener at Manchester United.

Leeds hoped to announce a new deal with Bielsa much earlier in the summer but it has remained unsigned, despite him having every intention of staying in the post. He opted not to return home to Argentina and kept a close eye on redevelopment work at Thorp Arch while preparing for a second crack at the top flight.

Just like last summer, however the signing of his contract has not been announced by the club with the season almost upon them.

Bielsa, however, says it is all sorted.

"It's a situation that is already resolved," he said. "It's a subject that's resolved."

When pressed for further detail he revealed his new deal runs only until next summer, as is his custom, at a club he considers special.

"From my point of view this is an extraordinary club," he said. "It's not often that you have a club that designates so much volume of investment to the improving of the training. In this sense Leeds have made a significant contribution economically for the tools for the manager to prepare his players to be the ideal ones. Everything that we need in this area, the club has resolved it with a very high investment, whether it be the pitches, the facilities, the technology, commodities for the work of the players and in this sense I am very astounded by the conduct of the club."

Bielsa has taken on legendary status in the city thanks to his footballing revolution at Elland Road. A near-brush with promotion in his first season was followed by a Championship title and a long-awaited return to the Premier League in his second.

Last season Leeds took the country's elite by storm, finishing ninth in the table and just missing out on a European place.

On Saturday he will become the first man to go into a fourth season in charge of the Whites since Howard Wilkinson. His record of 74 victories from 140 matches as Leeds boss puts him just behind the all-time great Don Revie in terms of win per centage.

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