Despite failing to make an impression at Elland Road, Marcelo Bielsa was praised by Levante player Oriol Rey, who had worked under him at Leeds United.
The midfield player, who has played for Barcelona, Leeds, Levante, and several other Spanish teams, has been talking to Cadena COPE about his career to date.
He began his career at Camp Nou and progressed through the youth systems, joining Leeds U21s on a free transfer in August 2018 after serving with the U16s, U19s, and U16s.
After spending just a year with Leeds and failing to make an appearance for the team, he was eventually sent on loan to UB Conquense, where he remained until July 2019, at which point he was granted free transfer permission to Valladolid Promesas.
He has since risen through the ranks in Spain and is currently a mainstay at Levante, where he currently holds the record for most minutes played as they attempt to regain promotion to the top division in Spain.
He was interested in talking to Cadena COPE about that as well as his early career, when he worked at Leeds under Bielsa.
“It wasn’t simple. Although I didn’t leave Barcelona well, I learned a lot,” he remarked.
“It was different, and it really helped me break free from the Barça bubble and develop as a football player. It was beneficial for me since Barça is a bubble where everything revolves around the ball, whereas in the Second Division, you have to work hard even when you don’t have the ball. The most important thing is to stay calm.
“Biensa didn’t want to rely on me when Leeds wanted to advance to the Premier League during the preseason. I moved to Conquense in Second Division B on loan. It was wonderful for me, we had a good squad, I played nearly everything, and it provided me visibility to return to Spain.
“Bielsa is a tough, hard-charging person. They were odd and inquisitive, and they demanded a lot of instruction and everyday living. with numerous exercise repetitions and modifications. The individual attention I received was excellent.
