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They are perhaps the two most famous sporting sons of the city of Rosario, but their professional paths have not yet crossed.

Barcelona great Lionel Messi and Leeds United head coach Marcelo Bielsa were both born in the north-eastern Argentine city and both began their careers at Newell's Old Boys.

Messi's debut with the national team came as an 18-year-old in 2005, a year after Bielsa's six-year spell in charge of the La Albiceleste came to an end and while Bielsa coached against Messi during his time at Athletic Bilbao, the two have never worked together.

And that's something Messi wants to change, as unearthed footage shared on Twitter shows.

Twitter user Juani Jumena regularly tweets out translated videos of Bielsa stretching back through the years, with his content lapped up by Leeds United fans wanting to know more about their head coach's colourful history.

Juani's latest tweet is an Argentine radio interview with Messi during Bielsa's spell in charge at Bilbao between 2011 and 2013.

Messi is asked about comments from Barca president Sandro Rosell on the possbility of Bielsa replacing Pep Guardiola the Nou Camp.

"It's a beautiful thing to see that Bielsa, someone I didn't have the luck to have as a manager, is doing well," Messi replies.

He is then asked if he's like to be managed by Bielsa in the future.

"Many have told me that he is very similar to Guardiola," he continues. "But hey, I didn't have him. But obviously I wish one day I can have him as a manager."

When Bielsa was in Bilbao, I remembered that Messi in an interview for an Argentine radio had talked about him.



After months of searching, I finally found it.



Messi, and his desire to be coached by Bielsa someday.

Ok Lio, we wait for you in Leeds. #Messi #lufc #Bielsa pic.twitter.com/yjX9OCOFz8 — Juani Jimena (@JimenaJuani) March 9, 2020

LeedsLive spoke to Jimena , a River Plate supporter who hails from the city of Mar del Plata, last year about what inspired him to share the videos before painstakingly translating them.

“I am 34 years old, and when Bielsa was the coach of the national team, especially after the 2002 World Cup when he began to be very criticised, with my 17 years of age, I began to admire him,” he explained.

“All the criticisms he received from the press and from some fans, were all the virtues that I saw in him.

“For me, football is part of life,” he continued.

“You can't be dishonest in football, and honest in life. Normally dishonest people in football, they are in life.

“People who care only about the result, often care only about money. And many more analogies. For that reason, for what Bielsa represents in football, he represents the part of life with which I identify.”

“My idea with the videos, was for people who don't speak Spanish to know that side of Bielsa.”