Bielsa to coach Chile for five more years
Reuters - Tuesday 03 August 2010, 06:52
SANTIAGO - Argentine Marcelo Bielsa, who
in June led Chile to their first win at a World Cup for 48
years, has agreed to stay on as their coach for another five
years.
"Marcelo Bielsa will keep working with us until 2015,"
Chilean Football Federation president Harold Mayne-Nicholls
told reporters.
"We have reached a full agreement which has been ratified
by the directors. He is very satisfied by this agreement and so
are we. We have fully agreed with all the demands he has made
to continue this job."
The eccentric Argentine took over as Chile coach in 2007
with the team in a shambolic state.
He rebuilt the side with a group of little-known but
talented youngsters, successfully managing to implement an
attacking game similar to the style he employed when he was
coach of his native Argentina.
Under Bielsa's leadership, Chile qualified for their first
World Cup since 1998, finishing second behind Brazil in the
10-team South American group and recording their first
competitive win over Argentina in the process.
At the World Cup itself, Chile, fielding one of the
youngest teams at the tournament, beat Honduras and
Switzerland, their first wins at the finals since 1962, to
reach the last 16, before losing 3-0 to Brazil.
Bielsa's new contract will include next year's Copa America
in Argentina, the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil,
the tournament itself - if Chile qualify - and the 2015 Copa
America.
If he sees through the contract, Bielsa, who became Chile's
sixth coach in as many years when he was appointed, will have
been at the helm for eight years.
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