Leeds United are back in the Premier League with Daniel Farke securing his third Championship title, mirroring what Marcelo Bielsa did five years beforehand in 2019-20.
Rewind to the summer of 2018 and Marcelo Bielsa was the surprise appointment made by Leeds, as the Argentine came in for the departing Paul Heckingbottom – not long after the summer trip to Myanmar.
Bielsa inherited a mid-table Championship side that looked as if it required major investment to take the side back to the Premier League. And yet, Bielsa’s side was mostly made up of Leeds’ existing players.
It was a theme of the Argentine’s time at Leeds. He turned Liam Cooper, Luke Ayling, Stuart Dallas and plenty of other mediocre Championship players into Premier League stars, finishing ninth in 2020-21.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Like Bielsa, Farke has won the Championship with Leeds in his second season. It is the first time in the history of the Championship that two sides have won 100 points, Leeds sitting top on goal difference.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
A sensational campaign for Farke and Leeds, with the task of now achieving safety in the Premier League the focus. But Henry Winter has shared what Bielsa thinks of Leeds being promoted under the German.
Winter posted on X: “Just to add to Leeds United’s promotion celebrations, I know that Marcelo Bielsa is absolutely delighted for the club, the fans and the whole city.”
Just to add to #LUFC promotion celebrations, I know that Marcelo Bielsa is absolutely delighted for the club, the fans and the whole city 🤍💙💛
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) May 8, 2025
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How Daniel Farke and Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds records compare…
Bielsa will always be recognised by many Leeds fans as the best manager to ever take over at Leeds. Even above Don Revie and Howard Wilkinson, simply because Bielsa’s Leeds side was so poor before he joined.
The current Uruguay manager took over when there was a disconnect between the team and the fans. The fans were fed up of so many years outside of the Premier League, Bielsa ending that 16-year run.
2019-20
(two in play-offs)
(one win in play-offs,
one loss in play-offs)
2024-25
(three in play-offs)
(one win, one draw,
one loss in play-offs)
Farke has got the job done and should be celebrated for that, but he did it with a team that should be promoted. His tenure at Leeds will be better judged on whether he can keep Leeds in the Premier League.
But the numbers are there for all to read. Farke’s record in the Championship is better than Bielsa’s with the former Gladbach and Norwich manager winning promotion against better teams than with Bielsa.