Leeds United chairman Andrea Radrizzani has lifted the lid on why manager Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t speak English to the press, during an interview with beIN Sports.
The Argentine’s reliance on an interpreter during interviews and press conferences has become something of a mystery. However, we’ve now got an explanation from within Leeds as to why Bielsa is reluctant to speak anything but Spanish.
When asked if Bielsa can speak English, the Leeds chairman replied: “A little. I think he understands (English), but I think I know why. It’s because he’s a man that weights every single word he says.
“So it feels more comfortable to speak in his native language because everything he says is important and gives value to it. Not like myself or many other people (who) can maybe lose meaning sometimes.”
Bielsa knows what he’s doing.
The Argentine knows any of his words could be lost in translation and, with the British tabloid press always on the lookout for a story, misconstrued comments could quickly come back to bite him.
Speaking in a language he’s comfortable with allows him to get his points across more clearly.
Bielsa is one of the most fascinating characters in the game and as long as his players get the message, it doesn’t really matter.
If he stays at Leeds for a few more years, perhaps we’ll get to hear him speaking English, much like his protégé Mauricio Pochettino, who used a translator when first at Southampton.
Either way, Radrizzani’s comments are certainly an interesting insight into the mind of El Loco.
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