They may be operating at different levels for now but Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has always been idolised by Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Leeds’ maverick boss Bielsa has been a revelation since taking over at Elland Road in the summer and has plenty of admirers including Tottenham manager Pochettino and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.
Leeds are second in the Championship and are looking the real deal for promotion back to the Premier League after 14 years away.
Meanwhile, one of Bielsa’s proteges Pochettino is fighting on all fronts to end Spurs’ trophy draught and maintain their Champions League status for this season and next.
While Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester United have all reportedly coveted Pochettino’s managerial nous in recent seasons, the Spurs boss has previously insisted it is his ‘footballing father’ who is truly one of the world’s best coaches.
“He is one of the best managers in the world,” Pochettino said, as reported previously by the likes of The Guardian.
“He is like my father in both ways because he’s 60 years old so he can be my father and he is also like my football father. I know him since I was 14 at Newell’s Old Boys.”
The Leeds boss himself was humbled by such praise but has always insisted Pochettino has his own style.
“Pochettino has built his own career and he’s built up his own unique style when you see his teams play,” Bielsa said in response.
“These two guys (Pochettino and Guardiola) could be considered as references, the fact they are references for other people.
“I’ve studied their styles in depth. I’m not being humble or modest. I’m convinced of what I’ve said.”
Despite Bielsa’s humility Pochettino has undoubtedly picked up a number of traits from and honed his tactical acumen under Bielsa.
But it appears he has also inherited some of Bielsa’s quirkiness too if a picture from Spurs’ defeat to Guardiola’s City is anything to go by.
Bielsa grabbed the attention of the wider football world not only for Leeds’ blistering start to the season but HOW he watches games from dugout.
Bielsa has opted to sit on a plastic bucket because he doesn’t like standing on the touchline but is also not keen on sitting way back from the edge of the pitch in the seats in the dugout.
The Argentine believes that sitting on the bucket gives him a better view than from the Elland Road dugouts.
And it seems Pochettino is copying his idol based on this great picture captured during Tottenham’s defeat at Wembley on Monday night.
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