Bielsa

Berkeley, Wednesday, July 1, 2026 1:26 AM

It is strange to write in here some opinions, instead of reflections, because it is not a place that will reach a large audience.

Also, in those single and/or run on sentences, I will place down some of the multiple distractions I have been put my attention, in the last days, instead of making significant progress.

After visiting a friend for writing, probably two Saturdays ago, when Ecuador played against Curazao, i bought my Ecuadorian t-shirt. I had it in my back up. I put it on me, just after arrival. I did not wanted to get distracted from the main purpose of the session. But we ended up watching the game. I of course have wore the t-shirt in the subsequent game days, including yesterday.

The low, not so, deep point is that screen time, and been sit is bad for health. Watching something for long hours instead of writing, or active brain engagement is not good for the brain.

I have though learned a few things through the matches, some articles, and the media, particularly listening directly to the coaches.

At the end, each person plays their game in this. Each person has opinion. There are possible interest and so on. In the process of discovering sources, futbol de primera has very good game narrations. Well that is something I already knew since the 2022 Qatar world cup.

oh. I see. I haven’t written to a German friend. At this point. And to a Japanese friend. At this point all of us are out. But I know they are football fans, particularly the german one.

I listened in recent days, while trying to learn a bit about Mexican team, an interesting show, La Delantera. It has interesting comical sections. At times, some border line.

Those are minor things. I put a lot of attention to the Bielsa case. Because I watched few minutes of the tackle like game Uruguay vs Spain, which some Uruguayans might trying to say that is part of their indentity which I learned a few years, 12 years ago, first hand while in Uruguay. But they over do it.

In any case, at the exit in first round. Journalist, more like hinchas, blustered against the coach. So, I was curious through learn this from a more like first hand. Of course, I do not know Bielsa. But I learned a few things from his press conferences, his prior jobs. A bit about his family and politics, even about his grandpa, his father, his mother, even about his great grand pa, and yet too superficial about Rosario. There are books about it. And here thinking, he was a coach for Leeds United. It is interesting that an Argentinian was teaching English teenagers and football professionals about the sport than England invented might about 150 years ago, and which has made several people crazy about it. Although, now, might except in several minor leagues, and at points in the professional careers of players, and at several times at the national teams, it is an easy critique but the sport is also a business product. Quite often linked more to entertainment, results, and business, but not to the passion for it. In Bielsa, and probably in the original Corinthians team from England, linked to virtues. Bielsa has this philosophy of making the players run and put efforts. He is an imitator of other talented players through exercises. And he thinks that not necessarily a player than runs more have better virtues, but it is likely than the higher intensity the best that they will perform. A highly regarded coach, Pep Guardiola, visited Bielsa before deciding to become a coach, after taking advice to visit him from his friend Gabriel Batistuta. El Cholo Simeone was a player as well coached by Bielsa, in a great generation of players, who played a great Eliminatoria or qualifiers, but were eliminated in the first round in the 2002 Japan South Korea World Cup, which Brazil, of Ronaldo and Ronaldino won.

One read a few things (and watch many things as well unfortunately) , and see also those capitains and great figures, such as Maradona and clearly Messi as well, and likely most of the players. Then one learn the love and respect those players have for the ball and the game. They also had, and was quite evident in Maradona, even, if barely saw him play, but there are videos, the love for their countries. In a global world, that might be complicated, but needed for the game. 11 players, and a few more, represent the press, the citizen, the worker, the emigrant, a nation. I think that is clear in Ener Valencia, Caicedo, Franco, and I hope that in all of the players. But names are complicated. As a fan, one also might not play the full role in not placing all the attention needed it. Then it become as a profession more, as each of us have or aim for a profession.

In true, I think most of us, have respected our t-shirt, our flag. That is It can be a respective satisfaction, because it is one, of course, a giant attention sport, in a global scale, but it is one of the sports, and that is also a hobbie or so. But it is part of culture. Wining against Germany was great. But a national holiday for that was an exaggeration.

I will disconnect from the recent learnings soon. But a few thoughts:

Of course it cost a lot of money to hire a coach, to manage logistics in world scale, to make transportation, nutrition, rest etc for the players easier. They also have spies (according to Aguirre), who go to watch other games or prepare about the rival. It is literally a sort of a gigantic spread out logistical training team through years to be successful on each of the limited 90 minutes in the pitch with the 11 +5 selected players.

Excellent job from the Profe Aguirre. De lo que le he escuchado me ha caido muy bien. And of course, they also have on the bench Rafa Marquez, as an assistant coach. He was quite a serious player, who I admire when he was at Barca.

We lost a coach, who was a great communicator after the Qatar 2002 world cup. I do not known if Paraguay is playing him more, or the specifics of what happened. In any case, I am happy for him, and for the Paraguayans. Need to write to a friend about it. Man, sometimes, hard to reach out friends in these moments, although now remembering them. Well, I wish them the best.

Also, the opinion regarding football, I need to learn what soccer means, is probably for the ones who known. But as the coach from England said, when appointed, or what I recall, or I remember. Tuchel said I have been appointed to the second most important job in England after the Prime Minister. Well, then a national day in a country is at least understandable, but not justified. The president of Paraguay did the same I believe yesterday.

Also, the national holiday, could mean that the president thinks that is the highest level he thinks the team reached in the competition, but the players might actually be hungry for more. An error to celebrate before the last product. But in that case, he was realistic, because there might not be another opportunity for a significant win in the tournament. There won be a national holiday after the knock out elimination regardless the stage.

Well, back to the opinion, I guess, acknowledging that I am not a expert on it, rather the opposite, but I have my opinions, and a team that I follow, Deportivo Cuenca, which I miss to attend to the stadium. I did that since I was a kid until colleague. That is a more real experience, of course of any thing that watching behind a screen, when football belonged to the pueblo. Still at that scale it does. But I think the ticket prices of the world cup are a sort of security filter, likely after experiences from the recent world cup. I think it was in 2023. But football narrated, might in several languages, but particularly in Spanish is great. It is an art of talking, creating some quick wit. Radio football might be still relevant.

I went back to a prior idea, before moving to the next. And might be forgot something else I wanted to say.

In the press conferences, I think it is interesting to listen to the coaches who actually express more or less clearly about the game. One of them is Bielsa. It might not be for everyone. Some folks might find him tiring in details. But it is a far man trying to make an argument. Age might not be in his favor, but if he accepts, he would be a great addition of knowledge to the Ecuadorian football, either as a main coach or as a assistant.

Names above are just names. And this is for ideas. Not to compromise anyone, except interpretations can play against me. in any case, it is about writing a few things I have learned, so I think it or release it from my head.

It might be time to think in the national product as well. It won’t be the first time. But a time after many years. I know it is an international sport. I am not sure if we understand or feel or love the game that well yet as a nation, beyond the result. But Ecuador definitely has forged great generation of players, with a high percentage of them coming from the Mira River Basin, particularly at Juncal, and Valle de los Chillos. They know themselves. In times of press and media, hopefully people can be fair beyond favoritism. A problem could be that many of the players could be relatives or more or less close relatives among themselves. But regardless what happens next, it would be great to have a local version of this international global product, which is football game. What about an Edison Mendez? Folks talk about a great generation of players. OK. What if coached by an Ecuadorian coach, and we start also to potenciar the coach formation, and so in years we might also “export” some coaches, who get some global feeling, and bring back a unique global perspective and yet still applying to a local idiocicracy of playing the game. A lot of pressure goes into it. But who pays for the National Federation? Is there a tax component in it? I understand, or at least see, that is the more successful game, in terms of economy, globally, which would wonder about its future. But definitely as a game will be remember in history. It has lived 100 years or so, and even in terms of world cup is close to that milestone. In some countries is getting more popular in others less. But it is there with all its infrastructure.

We of course must keep playing our sports, such as ecuavolley. Who knows if that will be exported. There are other local sports. Ecuavolley is a mestizo sports, because it is a cousin to volley, so it cannot be fully locally original, but it has it things. We of course, must keep potenciando athletes, arts, and other sports. Need to teach critical thinking to avoid being manipulated by the football press which in some cases says anything, but a few serious creditable logical things. Often I have seen many of them love to create some conflict. But all are part of this, so it is OK that there is discussion. Oh I listened briefly, in this process, to Eduardo el tanque Hurtado. Great analyst. He does not have the platform to be seen by many, but quite serious, and clearly understand what happen on the pitch.

There are processes. Who knows what is next? But in such of a popular sport. I am quite surprised that folks, the citizen, have only a say on the show, in the results. While all of this start at the election of authorities, which seems that in Ecuador has been good in the recent decades, despite fifa gate etc. Even Chiriboga, which name unfortunately, is manchado now. He was a great link to the citizens. But I am disconnected now. I can see from the results that the administration since then has done a great job in producing players and make a consistent team. Still, is the decision of the coach a mere news title for the population, who then goes and support the team and so on? Yes, from the point that it is also a business contract, and so speculation might not be appropriate in the process. Opinion of candidates should be there present. But to the magnitude, and how people get invested, and less than we do not understand this that well, citizens might have a say in the build up of the process?

It is so interesting that a complete, if I am right, to-down approach system, has all this gigantic support. Because it is not, necessarily a franchise as a club, which might be sell through propaganda to the people, it is the national team, which belong to all? Might be, because there are more sports. But truly, the belong to all the Ecuadorians is the true part. Anyways, I would like to ask as well if taxes or a fraction from the national budget is allocated to the national federation, which should be the case, as in all the national sport institutions has to support its athletes. Then, it is also a product of all those folks, maybe, mainly who live in Ecuador, who contribute to this to happen. That path should be clear as well. A national athlete would need to understand that as well, to understand the support that receives from a country.