Video vault and Leeds litter picking - inside the mind of Bielsa
Key takeaways
- The 70-year-old is one of the most respected and influential coaches in the game, and that reputation has been earned from his borderline obsessive dedication to preparation for every single match he oversees.
- Thankfully, modern technology means suitcases packed with VHS tapes will no longer be necessary.
- But Bielsa will no doubt have a similar volume of clips with him in North America for the 2026 World Cup - where his Uruguay side will face Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde and Spain in the group stage.
Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.
AFP via Getty Images Image caption, Marcelo Bielsa is manager a country at a World Cup for the third time in his career. It is quite possible that nobody alive today has watched more football than Marcelo Bielsa.
The 70-year-old is one of the most respected and influential coaches in the game, and that reputation has been earned from his borderline obsessive dedication to preparation for every single match he oversees.
More than two decades ago he took 2,000 video tapes to Japan for the 2002 World Cup - when he was manager of Argentina - with those covering everything from clips of his players at their respective clubs to the opposition teams his side would come up against at the tournament.