BIELIEVER CARLOS
Terriers boss: To work with legend Marcelo at Leeds was a dream... he’s my inspiration
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IT was no surprise when Carlos Corberan’s name was linked with the Leeds United job following Marcelo Bielsa’s sacking.
After all, the Spaniard had been Bielsa’s touchline conduit as Elland Road welcomed back Premier League football.
While the Argentinian sat on his traditional bucket, it was Corberan who barked out the orders as the Yorkshire club’s exciting brand of football lit up the Championship and ended a 16-year absence from the big time.
But the lure of being a manager in his own right ended the partnership, Corberan swapping the promise of the Premier League for a swift return to the Championship with Huddersfield Town. A
20th-place finish after flirting with relegation was not what the Terriers’ hierarchy was expecting and a 5-1 hammering at home against Fulham on the opening day of this season tested their belief in Bielsa’s former sidekick.
But tomorrow at the John Smith’s Stadium against Luton, the mood will be different after an amazing transformation in Huddersfield’s fortunes as they seek a return to the Premier League they left behind three years ago. Corberan is a confirmed Bielsa disciple having been promoted to first-team coach after initially being brought in by Leeds United’s director of football Victor Orta
with orders to revolutionise the academy.
He was so highly thought of that he joined Orta and owner Andrea Radrizzani in flying to Buenos Aires for talks with Bielsa. Corberan recalled: “Andrea was very clear about wanting to change the club.
“He wanted to awaken the sleeping giant which was Leeds United. He wanted the best coach in the world to make that happen. Victor had no doubts, it was Marcelo Bielsa. Working with Marcelo was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“You could not fail to learn. His qualities included analysing everything to a microscopic degree. For me, it was two fantastic years.”
Huddersfield noted Corberan’s influence at Elland Road and brought in the man who had first started coaching at the age of 18 with his local side Alcorcon.
It was the ultimate test as Huddersfield struggled – one that Corberan met head on.
He said: “You have two options, either look the other way and hamper your own development or be brave, look failure in the eye and learn what it has to tell you.
“I have always chosen the latter. In those times you have to break free from your ego and question everything that has happened.
“It is important that teams like ourselves with smaller budgets can always achieve something.
“It’s important to keep the dream alive.”