Bielsa will return to Bilbao if Arechabaleta becomes club president

Inaki Arechabaleta on Monday told a news conference if is elected as club president on June 24, he will appoint the 66-year-old Bielsa as the coach of

Bilbao.

Bilbao currently has no manager after Marcelino left the club after the expiration of his contract.

Bielsa previously coached Athletic between 2011 to 2013 and led the club to the Europa League and Copa del Rey finals in his first season in charge.

According to Diario Sport, Bielsa has confirmed that he will return to Athletic Club if

Arechabaleta wins the election. Arechabaleta is one of three candidates running to replace current president.

"[Bielsa] is the most respected coach in the world. He is also a coach for the future, although in the past he gave us the best season of this century,"

he said, as reported by The Athletic.

"He has evolved since then and his ambition, quality and abilities are going to take us to the Athletic that we must become.”

Bielsa was sacked by

in February, after three-and-a-half years at the club. Bielsa helped Leeds to return to the Premier League in 2020 after a 16-year absence. In 2020-2021 season they finished in the ninth place in the

but last season they slipped towards the relegation places.

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