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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has described Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa as “the most authentic manager” ahead of his team’s trip to Elland Road.
Guardiola, 49, considers Dutchman Johan Cruyff his inspiration as a coach, but greatly admires the Argentine, 65.
The Spaniard met Bielsa in Argentina before becoming Barcelona B’s manager and has embraced many of his philosophies.
“He is probably the person I most admire in world football, as a coach and as a person,” Guardiola said.
“He is the most authentic coach in terms of how he leads his teams. He is unique. No one can imitate him, it is impossible.
“I don’t see him that much, but when I have the pleasure of spending time with him, he always inspires me.”
The charge that is sometimes made against Bielsa is that, despite all the applause he receives, he lacks the highest honors.
While Guardiola has won eight league titles, two Champions League titles and five national cups in a brilliant career, Bielsa’s greatest achievement was possibly guiding Argentina to gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Until he won the Championship with Leeds last season, his main feat was leading Athletic Bilbao to the final of the Europa League and the Copa del Rey in 2012, both of which they lost.
However Guardiola, whose side faces Bielsa’s on Saturday, doesn’t think the lack of silverware matters.
“The value of a coach does not depend on how many titles or awards you won,” Guardiola said.
“My teams have won more titles than his, but in terms of knowledge of the game and many other things, including training sessions, I am still far from him.
“It is a good gift for the Premier League to have him here because it is always a pleasure to see his teams. They are honest, they always want to attack and they produce good football for the spectators.”
Bielsa, on the other hand, downplayed his influence on Guardiola’s footballing philosophy.
“I don’t feel like Guardiola’s mentor,” he said. “It is not just what I feel, it has been proven not to be the case. If there is a coach who is independent in his own ideas, that is Guardiola.
“It’s not just because I say it is, it’s because their teams play like no other team. Many believe that [Guardiola’s Barcelona team] it’s the best club team ever created. “
