When Marcelo Bielsa was Luis de la Fuente’s mentor | OneFootball

Dismissed by Alavés on 16 October 2011 with his side eighth in Group II of Segunda B, Luis de la Fuente used a barren spell to immerse himself in Marcelo Bielsa’s methods, a relationship that both men have now praised in Guadalajara.

According to El Correo, after stints with Sevilla and Athletic’s youth teams, two seasons as Joaquín Caparrós’s delegate at San Mamés, and a spell leading Bilbao Athletic in Segunda B, De la Fuente took the Vitoria job, then spent a year and a half waiting for a call that never came.

Bielsa had just arrived at Athletic, transforming Lezama during a first season that delivered Copa del Rey and Europa League finals and a dazzling night at Old Trafford against Manchester United. Coaches flocked to study the meticulous Argentine.

De la Fuente asked to attend daily sessions at Lezama, spent about four to six months watching, recorded every drill and said he learned extensively, describing Bielsa as innovative across many aspects of the game.

In Guadalajara, De la Fuente called himself an unconditional follower of the Uruguayan, and noted this is their first meeting. He highlighted how Bielsa’s full-pitch man marking has softened into zonal uses, argued ideas only work if players can execute them, and hailed his capacity to raise team performance.

Bielsa, speaking later from the same press room, said any ideas he may have shared were secondary to what De la Fuente has achieved. He called Spain’s football exquisite and more attractive than his own, and said reducing Spain’s time on the ball is the best route to contain them.

Source: El Correo