Burnley’s manager chase goes on after former Leeds United coach Marcelo Bielsa turned down the chance to replace Sean Dyche at the Premier League strugglers, according to El Destape.
Frank Lampard may disagree, of course, but Marcelo Bielsa is a man of principle.
And Burnley were very much mistaken if they thought that the enigmatic Argentine would be spurred on by the chance to take revenge on the club who sacked him in February, relegating his old employers while guiding the Clarets to top-flight survival.
He’s got more class than that. More loyalty. More pride.
El Destape claim that Bielsa, who will turn 67 in July, has received his fair share of offers since shuffling out of Elland Road two-and-a-half months ago, his legendary status intact despite a traumatic final few months at the helm of the Yorkshire giants.
The former Marseille, Athletic Bilbao and Chile boss, the report adds, dismissed the majority of those approaches out of hand. La Liga giants Valencia tried. As did Chivas de Guadalajara of Mexico.
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Burnley made an approach of their own a couple of weeks ago, after parting with their own era-defining tactician in Dyche. But Bielsa has no interest in diving straight back into top-level management until the summer at least.
And who can blame him really? This is a man who lives, breathes and eats football. The nature of his departure from Leeds United – a club who embraced the faults and the foibles of their most iconic head coach since Don Revie before the fear of relegation forced their hand – would have taken it’s toll.
“A world-class manager who’s done a phenomenal job from where he took over to where he’s got them to now,” Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard said in February.
“The Leeds players are living the dream to have the opportunity to play and compete in his style. Maybe that won’t be appreciated until he’s gone, but he’s certainly someone that all the coaches here have got immense respect for.”
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With three games remaining, Burnley and Leeds are level on points, 34 apiece. The Clarets have a far superior goal difference, however. And at this stage of the season, that almost acts as an extra point in the battle against the drop.
Mike Jackson looks set to remain in temporary charge until the summer at Turf Moor. By which point Carlos Carvalhal, one of Burnley’s top managerial targets, will be a free-agent. Slaven Bilic, Nuno Espirito Santo and Daniel Farke – three other names on their wishlist – are also currently out of work.
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