What Marcelo Bielsa did to Raphinha before kick-off last night as the Leeds United icons reunited

Raphinha has always paid tribute to Marcelo Bielsa as the man who helped him become the player he is today, and the pair were reunited before kick-off last night, two years after Bielsa’s departure from Leeds United.

In the quarter-finals of the Copa America, Bielsa’s Uruguay faced Raphinha and Brazil at the Allegiant Stadium in Nevada. Brazil were the favorites, but Uruguay have been excellent under Bielsa’s guidance.

Coming into the tournament, Bielsa had seen his Uruguay team win in matches against Brazil and even Argentina. Uruguay had won all three of their group games against Panama, Bolivia and then the United States.

Meanwhile, Raphinha’s nation were not at their best, securing just five points from nine in the group stage. Former Leeds star Raphinha scored in a 1-1 draw against Colombia to kick off the quarter-final clash.

Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Bielsa and Raphinha embrace before heated clash

It was an eventful match that saw Uruguay have the better chances but neither side could break the deadlock. Liverpool star Darwin Nunez has been excellent under Bielsa but missed a golden chance early on.

Raphinha was then sent on goal but failed to get the ball past Sergio Rochet. The game turned when Nahitan Nandez was shown a red card, but Uruguay held on and the game went to penalties.

Uruguay secured a surprise semi-final spot after Eder Militão and Douglas Luiz missed penalties. A huge win for Bielsa and Uruguay, but a disappointment for Brazil and Raphinha after a poor campaign.

What Raphinha has said about Leeds legend Bielsa in the past

Bielsa was sacked by Leeds in February 2022 after three-and-a-half seasons in charge, and a few months later Raphinha joined Bielsa in leaving Elland Road, securing a dream move to Barcelona for £55m.

After that move to the Nou Camp, he told Mundo Deportivo that without Bielsa he wouldn’t have earned the move to Barcelona or become part of the Brazilian national team. He owes everything to Bielsa.

“He has helped me a lot since the first moment I arrived at Leeds. He always demands more, the best. He helped me get into the national team and into Barça. If it wasn’t for his guidance, I probably wouldn’t be here. He was an important person for me and my career.”