Bielsa’s Young Apprentices.

Bielsa’s Young Apprentices.

Bielsa’s Young Apprentices.

Bielsa’s Young Apprentices.

Basque childhood seems like an enjoyable time, and this has been immediately added to the list of reasons why. Sure, everyone in the world of football is swooning over Athletic Bilbao’s manager Marcelo “El Loco” Bielsa. Pep Guardiola can’t seem to get enough of him, but what continuously flies under the radar is the fact that the Argentine coach is a hell of a nice guy in addition to a tactical genius. He routinely opens his practices up to local Athletic supporters, creating a family-friendly environment for those who will hopefully feature for Los Leones in the future. In a recent training session, however, he did more than just pose for pictures and sign autographs. Instead, Bielsa brought three young assistants with him to help run a training session, a remarkable experience for any fan. It’s hard to imagine many managers following suit, but that’s part of the reason why the world now knows of El Loco. [via 3nil]