Marcelo Bielsa: A Combined XI of the Argentine Managers Greatest Ever Players

Marcelo Bielsa is number 50 in 90min's Top 50 Great Manager's of All Time series. Follow the rest of the series over the course of the next 10 weeks. You can find Ben Carter's career overview on 'El Loco' here.

During a career that started over 27 years ago, it's no surprise that Marcelo Bielsa has worked with some bonafide stars both at club and international level.

Considering players in their prime like Carlos Tevez, Aritz Aduriz and André-Pierre Gignac missed out on a place in this list, it's no surprise that Bielsa's combined XI is stacked with world class attacking talents.

So to kick off 90min's Top 50 Greatest Managers of All Time series, here's a starting line-up of the best players in each position that have worked under Bielsa.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Steve Mandanda - Goalkeeper isn't a position that's overflowing with stars to pick from, but Olympique de Marseille's record appearance holder - making 520 for Les Phocéens to date - is more than worthy of a place in Bielsa's all-time XI.

Javier Zanetti - With more than 1000 appearances for club and country, Inter legend Javier Zanetti is one of the most recognisable players from the last 25 years. His versatility was key for Argentina, playing as a full-back, winger and midfielder under Bielsa.

Fernando Amorebieta - A far cry from his days at Fulham and Middlesbrough, Fernando Amorebieta used to be the heartbeat of Bielsa's defence at Athletic Club. The Venezuelan defender was part of a spine that made the Basque side so impressive during the 2011/12 season.

Mauricio Pochettino - Some time before Mauricio Pochettino worked his way up the managerial ladder, Tottenham's head coach played under Bielsa both with Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys and the Argentine national team. He was even handed an international debut by the Leeds United boss.

Benjamin Mendy - His success at Marseille eventually saw Mendy set the world record as the most expensive defender on the planet when he joined Manchester City in 2017.

Midfielders

Arturo Vidal - Just before Bielsa was appointed with Chile, Vidal secured his first ever move to Europe. He was handed his international debut under former boss Nelson Acosta, but he didn't establish himself until the Argentine was appointed.

Esteban Cambiasso - Another who was handed their international debut with Bielsa, Cambiasso never truly established himself at international level, but he played a vital role in Real Madrid's Galácticos side and an even bigger one at Inter.

Alexis Sánchez - An exciting talent who was forced to be loaned back to South America just 10 days after moving to Europe, Bielsa's guidance with the national team helped provide Alexis Sánchez the platform to be the household name he's become.

Juan Román Riquelme - Prior to Argentina's Lionel Messi craze, it was Riquelme who was winning the hearts of La Albiceleste. But interestingly, the South American legend only made four appearances under Bielsa.

Pablo Aimar - Although Riquelme might have been starved of opportunities at international level under Bielsa, Valencia icon Aimar was allowed to flourish.

Forward

Gabriel Batistuta - Bielsa doesn't have a shortage of attacking talent that he's worked with throughout his career, but few players names have ever carried the same weight as Batistuta. Scoring 55 goals in 77 appearances for Argentina, with a further 238 in 430 at club level, he achieved legend status both in his home country and during a 12-year spell in Italy.

Source : 90min