Football managerial guru Marcelo Bielsa could be making a return to management much quicker than expected after being shortlisted for a new role hardly a month after leaving Leeds United.
The Argentine’s return to management could be really swift as the Bolivian national team are keenly interested in hiring him to spruce up their team. Bielsa was released by Leeds on February 27 following a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, effectively ending a near four-year spell with the Yorkshire club. His termination led to an emotional outpouring from fans, who had grown attached to the Argentine coach after he guided them back into the Premier League.
Bielsa left Leeds just two points above the relegation zone after five defeats in his last six league matches in charge, but they have since rallied under his successor Jesse Marsch. Dramatic victories over Wolves and Norwich City, which were both sealed by injury-time strikes, has seen Leeds pull seven points clear of the drop zone.
With his former side moving on, it now appears that Bielsa could be set for a quick return to management. The 66-year-old manager is on the shortlist to become the new boss of the Bolivian national team.
“We are in contact,” Fernando Costa, president of the Bolivian FA, said in a press conference on Friday.
“I’m not going to deny that we are having some line of contact with the manager. We still haven’t talked to him, but we are close to doing so.
“We want to give him all the support. We know that Bolivia has a lot of talent and that going to a World Cup isn’t that far away.”
Bielsa has previously taken charge of both Chile and Argentina, so is no stranger to South American international management. He managed his home country of Argentina from 1998 to 2004 before leading neighbors Chile from 2007 to 2011.
If he does take the role, Bielsa will have a challenge on his hands with Bolivia. Costa’s mention of the World Cup appears very optimistic, given Bolivia’s current position of ninth place in South American World Cup qualifying.
A 3-0 defeat by Colombia on Thursday was Bolivia’s third in succession and leaves them with just four wins from their 17 qualifying games.