Atlanta United deny interest in Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 15 December 2018

The president of new MLS champions Atlanta United denies reports that he is planning to poach manager Marcelo Bielsa from Championship side Leeds United.

The president of MLS side Atlanta United has vehemently denied reports that he is planning to poach manager Marcelo Bielsa from Leeds United.

The newly-crowned MLS champions are on the lookout for a new boss after seeing former Barcelona and Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino step down following his side's triumph in the final against Portland Timbers.

Reports in the United States suggested that Bielsa was on their radar as they aim to appoint a replacement by January 14, but club president Darren Eales has insisted that is not the case.

"Absolutely not. As far as I'm aware he's managing Leeds at the moment, so I'm not sure where that's come from," Eales told the Daily Mail.

"There may be a misconception because I was talking about style of play and I said, 'If you look at Tata Martino, Mauricio Pochettino, when I was at Tottenham, he talked about Bielsa's style of play'.

"They've all come from that tree of Marcelo Bielsa and Newell's Old Boys and what he did there. I think someone may have got the wrong end of the stick, clearly not. He's coaching at Leeds. He's not someone that we'd be thinking about."

Bielsa only took over at Leeds in June and has led the club up to second place in the Championship.