PRESIDENT MADE TO SIT TIGHT FOR BIELSA’S BAKER!

IT WAS midwinter 2007 and the head of the Chilean FA, Harold Mayne-Nicholls, received an early-morning phone call from his newly appointed manager, Marcelo Bielsa. He feared the worst. Mayne-Nicholls had insisted Bielsa move his family to Chile and the request had been turned down because his daughter, Ines, had trials for Argentina’s hockey team. Bielsa had asked to meet at the training ground, overlooked by the Andes. Mayne-Nicholls recalled: ‘He said: “Can we take a walk?” I was wearing a jacket and tie with proper shoes and, as we were walking along the side of the pitch, I could feel water in my shoes. ‘He added: “I want to live here in the technical centre”. ‘Marcelo, look around you. In winter, it is dark at six. There are no restaurants, no cinemas, no life. ‘By now we had turned a corner to face the mountains. The sky was blue, the mountains completely white. “Look at those mountains”, he said. “I would never forgive myself if I lived where I couldn’t see these mountains every day”.’ ‘He moved into room No 1 and took over an adjoining room. One became his office, the other had room for a bed and a table but not much more. He lived there for three years.’ Chile qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with some stunning football. On the night they confirmed their passage with victory over Colombia, Mayne-Nicholls received a call from the Chilean president, Michelle Bachelet (left). She said she would like to meet the squad. ‘The president arrived. The team were ready but Bielsa was nowhere to be seen,’ said Mayne-Nicholls. ‘Then, suddenly, he appeared with two guys I had never seen before. Bielsa said to the president, “I would like you to meet two people who’ve done more than anyone to get us to the World Cup. This is our baker and every day he delivers fresh bread to us. This man brings us fruit and vegetables. We could not have qualified without them”. That was Bielsa.’