Leeds United: 2023/24 Season Stats
Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera
This page is dedicated to one of the greatest football coaches and significant influences in the modern game. Marcelo Bielsa took charge as head coach of Leeds United on June 15 2018 and guided the club who had previously finished 13th to a top-three finish in his debut season.
His transformation of the Elland Road outfit was nothing short of sensational both on and off the pitch. The Argentine is a bold, revolutionary coach with an obsession for attacking football and endless running. Leeds were the fittest team in the Championship in both campaigns and topped the division for the most distance covered per game (113.1km) and most sprints per game (169) in the Premier League in 2020/21.
Leeds covered the largest distance in all but one of our 38 top flight matches in 2020/21, and even then it was a marginal difference having played an entire second half against Manchester City with ten men. Bielsa also used the fewest players (23) and made the fewest starting XI changes by any Premier League side (44) in 2020/21.
In 2019/20, Bielsa won the Championship title and sealed automatic promotion to the Premier League after having accumulated a club record 93 points in a single season. In his third season at the club, Bielsa secured a highly respectable ninth-place finish in the Premier League. Along with introducing an electric and entertaining brand of football to the top flight, the Argentine also secured the highest Premier League points tally (59) by any newly-promoted side since Ipswich Town in 2000/01 (66).
Following his appointment at Elland Road, Bielsa has been won the Championship title, the FIFA Fair Play Award, LMA Championship Manager of the Year, won three Championship Manager of the Month awards, was voted the BBC Match of the Day Premier League Manager of the Season and was a finalist for both the Best FIFA Men’s Coach in 2020 and the LMA Manager of the Year 2020/21.
Marcelo Bielsa became the first head coach or manager in Leeds United's history to win all four of his opening competitive matches in his debut season at the club on August 18th 2018. Bielsa also became the first Leeds manager to win 76 of his first 150 league games in charge of the club on January 16th 2022
Leeds were blessed with one of modern football's greatest visionaries at the helm and a man who was the architect behind the club's philosophy and remarkable style of play.
Marcelo Bielsa was sacked by the club following four consecutive league defeats after a three-and-a-half year spell at Elland Road on February 27th 2022.
Below are some of the headline statistics behind his reign at Leeds United.
MARCELO BIELSA AT LEEDS UNITED
Possession share stats exclude FA Cup and League Cup matches played.
MARCELO BIELSA'S TIMELINE AT LEEDS
June 15 2018
Marcelo Bielsa was appointed Leeds United head coach on a one-year deal with the option of a second year.
August 5 2018
Leeds fans witnessed Bielsaball for the first time as Marcelo Bielsa took charge of his first competitive game and oversaw a
3-1 win over Stoke City at Elland Road.
August 18 2018
Marcelo Bielsa became first Leeds manager to win first four matches in a debut season.
September 6 2018
Marcelo Bielsa won the Championship Manager of the Month award for August and became the first Leeds manager to win it Simon Grayson in December 2010.
November 6 2018
Marcelo Bielsa made a personal £1.9 million donation towards a new training facility for Newell's Old Boys.
December 23 2018
Kemar Roofe scored a last-gasp winner at Aston Villa to ensure Leeds were top of the Championship at Christmas.
December 26 2018
Leeds secured a sensational late comeback win in a 3-2
victory over Blackburn. It was the club's first league victory from a losing position by scoring two injury time goals post
90 minutes in the club's history.
January 10 2019
Marcelo Bielsa is accused of sending a spy to watch Derby County at their training ground ahead of their Championship clash.
January 11 2019
Leeds moved five points clear at the top with a 2-0 win over Derby at Elland Road as Frank Lampard described Marcelo Bielsas's 'sypgate' behaviour as "unethical".
January 16 2019
Marcelo Bielsa called a remarkable 70-minute powerpoint press conference and admitted he had sent someone to spy on every team he had played as Leeds head coach.
February 18 2019
The Football League fined Leeds £200,000 after completing their investigation into spying which Bielsa paid out of his own pocket. The EFL also introduced a new rule thatteams could not watch any opposition training up to 72 hours before a game.
April 28 2019
Controversy as Marcelo Bielsa orders Leeds to allow Aston Villa to equalise following Mateusz Klich's goal.
May 11 2019
Marcelo Bielsa took charge of his 50th game in charge and secured a 0-1 Championship play-off semi-final first leg win at Derby.
May 15 2019
Leeds suffered heartbreak after being beaten 2-4 by Derby in the Championship play-off semi-final second leg at Elland Road confining the club to a sixteenth season out of the top flight.
May 28 2019
Leeds exercised the second-year option to extend Marcelo Bielsa's contract for another one-year deal.
September 23 2019
Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds received FIFA's Fair Play award for their sportsmanship shown in a match against Aston Villa.
October 19 2019
Leeds won 1-0 over Birmingham City in the club's official centenary match at Elland Road.
December 13 2019
Marcelo Bielsa was named Championship Manager of the Month for November.
December 29 2019
Leeds beat Birmingham City 4-5 at St. Andrews to secure the club's first ever win after conceding four goals in Leeds United history.
March 7 2020
Leeds beat Huddersfield 2-0 to secure five consecutive league wins without conceding a goal for first time since December 2009.
July 12 2020
Pablo Hernandez scored one of the most famous goals in Leeds history to put the club on the verge of promotion to the Premier League.
July 19 2020
Leeds defeated Derby 1-3 at Pride Park and celebrated winning the Championship title. Bielsa became the first Leeds manager to win 13 away matches in a single league season in the club's history.
July 22 2020
Leeds were crowned Championship title winners on Marcelo Bielsa's 100th match in charge and lifted the trophy at Elland Road. Leeds also accumulated a club record 93 points in a single season.
July 27 2020
Marcelo Bielsa was named the LMA Championship Manager of the Year after guiding Leeds to the Championship title and automatic promotion to the Premier League.
July 31 2020
Marcelo Bielsa was named Championship Manager of the Month for July after 100 per cent run-in.
September 6 2020
Marcelo Bielsa gave Kalvin Phillips a Newell's Old Boys jersey to commemorate his international call-up. The Leeds midfielder returned the favour and gifted Bielsa his first England shirt.
September 11 2020
Marcelo Bielsa signed a new one-year deal as head coach at Leeds on the eve of the club's first Premier League season in sixteen years.
September 12 2020
Marcelo Bielsa took charge of Leeds' first Premier League match in 16 years in a thrilling 4-3 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
November 7 2020
Marcelo Bielsa took charge of his 100th league game at Leeds in a 4-1 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
November 28 2020
Leeds defeated Everton 0-1 at Goodison Park and kept consecutive Premier League clean sheets for the first time since January 2003.
December 16 2020
Marcelo Bielsa oversaw a 5-2 win over Newcastle on his 114th match at Leeds, more than at than any single club or country in his career.
December 17 2020
Marcelo Bielsa finishes as runner up to Jurgen Klopp for The Best FIFA Men’s Coach award.
December 20 2020
Leeds suffered a heavy 6-2 Premier League defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
December 29 2020
Leeds defeated West Brom 0-5 at The Hawthorns and secured our joint-biggest margin of victory away from home in the club's league history.
January 31 2021
Leeds recorded our first league win at Leicester since November 2011 with a 1-3 victory at the King Power Stadium.
February 23 2021
Leeds sealed their 200th Premier League victory with a 3-0 win over Southampton at Elland Road.
March 19 2021
Leeds won their seventh Premier League away match of the campaign with a 1-2 win at Fulham, the most by a newly-promoted side in a single season since 2005/06.
April 3 2021
Leeds became the first newly-promoted side to win 13 of the first 30 Premier League matches in a single season since Reading in 2006/07 with a 2-1 victory over Sheffield United.
April 10 2021
Marcelo Bielsa defeated a side managed by Pep Guardiola for the very first time in a famous 1-2 win over Manchester City at the Etihad.
May 8 2021
Leeds defeated Tottenham 3-1 at Elland Road and sealed 15 Premier League wins in a season for the first time since 2001/02.
May 15 2021
Leeds defeated Burnley 0-4 at Turf Moor as the club matched the Whites' record for the most consecutive away league games without a draw.
May 23 2021
Leeds ended the 2020/21 campaign with a 3-1 won over West Brom and secured a ninth-placed finish. The club also set a new Premier League record by scoring 62 Premier League goals by a promoted side in a single campaign in a 38-match season.
May 24 2021
Marcelo Bielsa was one of six finalists for the LMA Manager of the Year award.
May 24 2021
Marcelo Bielsa was voted the BBC Match of The Day Premier League Manager of the Season.
Jun 5 2021
Marcelo Bielsa was one of four finalists for the Premier League Manager of the Season.
Aug 12 2021
Marcelo Bielsa signed a new one-year deal to stay at the club for a fourth consecutive campaign.
Aug 12 2021
Leeds suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Aug 24 2021
Marcelo Bielsa overtakes Billy Hampson with his 75th win in charge with a 3-0 League Cup victory over Crewe to take him
10th in the all-time list of games won.
Oct 16 2021
Marcelo Bielsa took charge of his 150th match as Leeds head coach against Southampton at St Mary's Stadium.
Dec 14 2021
Marcelo Bielsa suffered the heaviest defeat of his managerial career with a 7-0 Premier League loss at Manchester City.
Dec 18 2021
Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds suffered three consecutive league defeats for the first time.
Jan 16 2022
Leeds defeated West Ham 2-3 at the London Stadium as Marcelo Bielsa won his 76th win in his 150th league game in charge of Leeds, the most wins by any manager in their first 150 league games in charge in the club's history. Marcelo Bielsa and his coaching staff also won the LMA Managers' Performance of the Week.
Feb 20 2022
Leeds suffered a 2-4 home defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League at Elland Road.
Feb 23 2022
Leeds suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League.
Feb 26 2022
Leeds suffered a 0-4 home defeat to Tottenham in the Premier League at Elland Road.
Feb 27 2022
Marcelo Bielsa was sacked by the club following four consecutive league defeats
after a three-and-a-half year spell at Elland Road.