Bielsa's legacy to live on in Leeds

Marcelo Bielsa will always be revered by the city of Leeds, not just Leeds United. He restored the club to the Premier League, but his impact on the wider community ran deeper than that.

His legacy transcends Elland Road and the Argentine helped one of the UK's largest cities rediscover its sporting identity.

A city centre street renamed after him and murals depicting Bielsa the saviour attest to that.

As does the outpouring of sadness, indignation and even outrage from fans on social media at the manner of his departure.

There will be demands for a statue because after 16 years of hopeless failure on and off the pitch, Bielsa made the fans fall back in love with their club.

And new fans, from South America and all over the world, came to share in the dream and stand alongside them.

In six short weeks in the summer of 2018 after being unveiled as Leeds' new head coach, he transformed a mid-table Championship side into promotion contenders.

It was true what they said about 'El Loco'. If he was trusted and allowed to do things his way, they said, he would perform miracles. And he did.

But all dreams must come to an end and as the next page is turned when Leeds are on Monday expected to announce American Jesse Marsch as their new manager.

Bielsa came unstuck because he ran out of players. The ones he had moulded in a notoriously small squad, which he insisted was the only way he could operate.

His critics said it had only been a matter of time, that the physical demands required to play his turbo-charged pressing brand, Bielsa-ball, would take their toll.

Leeds have struggled to replicate the form which had swept them to a ninth-placed finish in their first season back in the Premier League.

But the 20 goals conceded in