Bournemouth Hold Talks with Marcelo Bielsa over Managerial Vacancy
By Tanish Menon
According to recent reports, Marcelo Bielsa could potentially be lining up for his Premier League return with Bournemouth said to be interested.
Prospective new owner Bill Foley has reportedly met up with club representatives in Las Vegas and the former Leeds manager is among the top candidates considered for the job.
Foley, who owns National Hockey League side Vegas Golden Knights, has not been officially confirmed as the new owner, however it is only a matter of time before the Premier League rubberstamps the £120m takeover.
Gary O’Neil has been appointed as the caretaker manager but is not expected to be given the role on a permanent basis.
https://twitter.com/David_Ornstein/status/1591164195617525761
Bielsa has been out of work following his sacking by Leeds United in February 2022, with his side sitting two points off the relegation zone.
However, the 67-year-old is still fondly remembered by the Leeds faithful as he led the team back after 16 years of absence to the Premier League.
In their first season back in the top flight, he guided the team to an impressive 9th place finish. However, he was not able to replicate the same form and intensity as the Whites crumbled and were eventually just two points off the drop zone.
Jesse Marsch has taken over and has done a decent job with the investment provided.
Marcelo Bielsa is highly respected among the football industry as a visionary. The Argentine brought an extensive CV with him to Elland Road, having managed the likes of Argentina, Lazio, Chile, Athletic Bilbao and Espanyol down the years.
Bielsa departed from Leeds with a total of 81 wins, 30 draws and 59 defeats under his belt from 170 matches in all competitions.
A shame it ended how it did but Marcelo Bielsa’s revolution at Leeds was absolutely brilliant. pic.twitter.com/tSLSXMEs6x
— Tom Carnduff (@TomCarnduff) February 27, 2022
Scott Parker had been critical of the Cherries investment in the squad following promotion. The former Fulham manager was dismissed after a 9-goal drubbing by Jurgen Klopp’s men at Anfield.
The Cherries went six games unbeaten under temporary boss O’Neil but have suffered four consecutive league defeats to sit 17th in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone.
Bournemouth have just come off a 4-1 win and will aim to enter the World Cup break on a high when they face Frank Lampard’s Everton for the second time this week.