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Leeds boss Bielsa: I am not Guardiola's mentor; he's independent

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa insists he's no mentor of Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola takes his Manchester City side to Elland Road on Saturday to take on Bielsa's Leeds, with the pre-match build up understandably focussing on the relationship between the two managers.

"I do not feel like a mentor to Guardiola," Bielsa said.

"It's not just how I feel, it's evidence to that not being the case. There's a manager independent in his ideas, it's Guardiola. It's not just because I say it is, it's because his teams play like no other team.

"First of all, he's imaginative. He is able to instantly create solutions to problems he comes across. Another thing that distinguishes him as a top coach is what he proposes he's able to implement. You praise someone it's important to argue why because if not it's mere empathy.

"We imagine football in an obedient manner. Guardiola imagined football in a freedom type of way. To imagine football this way doesn't mean footballers are going to act in the same way. To propose a solution to the game. They don't need a lot of time to incorporate it.

"I don't know too many coaches who would also be deserving of this type of praise."

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