Marcelo Bielsa, who pulled out of coaching Lazio in a shock move just 48 hours after his appointment was announced, has blamed the club for his exit saying it had failed to sign a single player.
The intense Argentine, known as “El Loco” (the Madman), called Lazio chief Claudio Lotito overnight Thursday to say he had decided not to come to Rome, triggering threats of legal action from the Italian club.
In a curt letter to the Serie A club dated July 7 – which appeared in Argentine media on Saturday – Bielsa said: "It had been decided and made clear ... that reinforcements were necessary, taking into account the departure of 18 players from last season.
“It was agreed, as an essential condition to the implementation of the work programme, that we would sign at least four footballers before July 5, with the aim that they would participate in pre-season training.
“To this date, not one player has been signed,” he said.
“For my method of working we needed to have these players arrive in a timely manner to train.”
Bielsa also complained that Lazio announced he was to join the club knowing full well that the conditions he had demanded had not been met.
Bielsa, touted for the coaching role left open by Gerardo Martino at the Argentina national team, stressed in the letter that he had “no other work offer in hand”.
Struggling Lazio finished eighth last season, far behind arch rivals AS Roma.
The club had released a press statement on Wednesday announcing to much fanfare that it had snapped up the former Argentina and Chile coach.
On Friday it threatened legal action after revealing Bielsa had pulled out of the deal.
With pre-season training about to begin, Simone Inzaghi will step in, having taken temporary charge in the second half of last season.
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Final scores
18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)
- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)
-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)
-11: David Lipsky (USA), Marc Warren (SCO)
-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Where to buy
Limited-edition art prints of The Sofa Series: Sultani can be acquired from Reem El Mutwalli at www.reemelmutwalli.com
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