With the rumor mill buzzing that Marcelo Bielsa was backing out on the gig, Lazio has confirmed the hiring of the Argentine manager.
Bielsa, 60, was expected to take over Lazio before reports emerged that he could turn his back on the Serie A side to fill the recently opened Argentina national team job.
Tata Martino resigned from the Argentina job on Tuesday, and the nation’s football federation is enduring a chaotic time.
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Reports came that Bielsa had “no showed” at the team’s first day of training on Wednesday, spurring Lazio into action. The club says Bielsa was always going to report on Saturday, not Wednesday.
Bielsa’s highest profile jobs have been leading Argentina, Chile, Athletic Bilbao and Marseille, and the Argentine is widely considered one of the best minds in the game.
Lazio finished eighth in Serie A last season.