SHARE
COPY LINK

FOOTBALL

Marcelo Bielsa quits as Lazio coach after just two days

Former Argentina boss Marcelo Bielsa has abruptly pulled out of coaching Lazio in a shock move which the club said could result in legal action.

Marcelo Bielsa quits as Lazio coach after just two days
Lazio boss Marcelo Bielsa has walked out on the club after just 48 hours in charge. Photo: Bernard Landlais/AFP

“We note with amazement the resignation of Marcelo Bielsa in clear violation of the commitments and agreements signed last week and filed with the Italian Football Federation,” the Serie A club said in a statement on Friday.

Lazio said on Wednesday that the man who quit as Marseille coach after the first match of last season, would be arriving in Rome this weekend having signed a contract as coach.

The Roman club said former Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi would be stepping into the vacant breach, having already taken temporary charge after Stefano Poli was sacked in the second half of last season.
   
Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport daily reported that the larger-than-life Bielsa, true to his fearsome nickname 'El Loco', (the Madman) called Lazio boss Claudio Lotito in the middle of the night to say he had decided not to
come to Rome.
   
Bielsa has a reputation for quitting: he dropped out as coach of Marseille on the opening weekend of the French season last year in a bitter row over his contract, after just over a year in charge.
   
Having coached Argentina from 1998 to 2004, Bielsa was also in charge of Chile from 2007 to 2011.
   
The Lazio job was to be his first time coaching in Italy having previously managed in Argentina, Mexico and Spain with Espanyol and Athletic Bilbao.
   
The task of turning around Lazio's fortunes did not promise to be an easy one: the club, which last won the Serie A in 2000, finished eighth last season, far behind arch rivals AS Roma, who were third.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

SHOW COMMENTS