It was the morning after the final game of the season and, for Brendan Rodgers, it had happened again.
Another campaign spent inside the top four, longer than any other side, only for Champions League qualification to slip through Leicester City’s fingers once more.
A home defeat to Tottenham when a win would have done it. And they had led twice.
Brendan Rodgers revealed Marcelo Bielsa helped him after Leicester blew a top four spot
The Foxes lost to Spurs on the final day of last season with Rodgers feeling ‘numb’ afterwards
It’s no wonder Rogers felt numb. His side had blown it again. He needed a holiday, it was time to get away. But first he had a visitor: Marcelo Bielsa.
The two managers face each other this afternoon, with both sides enduring a mixed start to the Premier League season.
They had planned before Rodgers’ final-day disappointment to meet at Leicester’s training ground. The two talked about football. What else would two tactical obsessives talk about.
At times, Bielsa spoke in English via his interpreter, at others Rodgers conversed in Spanish, a language he studied for six years earlier in his career. By the end of it, Bielsa had given Rodgers some perspective.
Leeds boss Bielsa (above) came into Leicester and Rodgers’ training facilities in the summer
‘It has a real numbing effect on me, not qualifying for the Champions League,’ says Rodgers. ‘I spent a couple of hours with him and it was a breath of fresh air. He’s a great man.
‘He arranged to come in, take a look at our facilities and speak about football. It felt good. I came out of the conversation having lost the day before and before I went on holiday it was really great to chat to him. I had a great morning with him.’
There are few managers in the world who would not list Bielsa’s name as an inspiration. Pep Guardiola has. So, too, Mauricio Pochettino, who played under Bielsa at Newell’s Old Boys and Espanyol.
Rodgers is no different. ‘I’ve…
Source : dailymail
