Quique de Lucas has chosen a somewhat graphic way to praise Marcelo Bielsa, ahead of Celta Vigo’s trip out to face the Argentine’s Athletic Bilbao.
De Lucas and his Celta teammates make the journey east this Sunday and ahead of the meeting, the former Chelsea man looked to compliment the opposition Coach, albeit differently.
“He’s a football junkie. He’s a scholar who draws much criticism, much opinion, and he always makes you think,” De Lucas told reporters today.
“Football is his methadone. The degree of intensity that his team plays with is hard to follow, so we must be prepared for that.”
De Lucas emerged through the youth system at Espanyol during Bielsa’s brief tenure in 1998 at the Catalans.
“I have good memories of him. I am very motivated for the game at San Mames, to face him will be a challenge.
“Athletic are a tough opponent because they do not allow you to breathe, it is always a physically tough duel. One of their weapons is Bielsa.
“I notice that Celta are more settled than before. Now in games we are looking to set the tempo, whilst earlier in the season the opposite was happening, and we were going back and forth depending on what the opponent did.
“We have matured on that and we must continue polishing this diamond.”
