Bielsa 101

Detailed Itinerary

Day One – Depart Leeds

You will leave Leeds Bradford airport this evening as you begin your journey to Argentina.

Day Two - Arrival in Buenos Aires

Your flight will land in Buenos Aires this morning and we'll take you to your hotel in the traditional tango district of San Telmo. After some free time to freshen up and get lunch, we will take you for a tour of the major sights in the city. We will visit the historic centre, including the famous Plaza de Mayo where the demonstrations by mothers of the ‘disappeared’ against the military government took place, as well as the Casa Rosada from whose balcony Evita addressed the crowds below. We'll then head to La Boca, home to the famous Boca Juniors football team, where we'll take you for a tour of the famous Bombonera stadium so you can see the pitch where legendary players like Maradona, Batistuta, Caniggia and Tevez honed their skills. Bielsa never managed Boca, but as manager of Newell's and then Velez Sarsfield, he won the title three times, denying the giants of Argentina their customary position.

Day Three - Fly to Rosario

This morning we will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the domestic airport for the short flight west to Rosario. Marcelo's hometown here on the banks of the Rio Parana (squint a bit and it could almost be the Aire...) is a powerhouse of Argentine football and is home to two of the most famous clubs in South America, Rosario Central and Newell's. On arrival we'll take you straight to your hotel in the centre of town so you can enjoy a few drinks and start soaking up the atmosphere. (Breakfast included)

Day Four - Bielsa's Roots

We'll spend today exploring the streets and places which made Marcelo the coach he is today, visiting his childhood barrio before we head on to the Newell's ground, which was renamed the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa in tribute to his managerial success here. In three years as manager, he won two Argentine titles and was runner-up in the Copa Libertadores - the equivalent of the Champions League - before moving on to manage Atlas and America in Mexico. League schedule permitting, we will try and fit in a home game here in Rosario as well. (B)

Day Five – Back to Buenos Aires

Life in Rosario revolves around the river, so your visit here wouldn't be complete without a morning cruise on the Rio Parana so you can complete your picture of Marcelo's early years. After that, we'll take you back to the airport for a flight back to Buenos Aires, where we'll take you to your San Telmo hotel so you can enjoy another evening out here in one of the world's great cities. (B)

Day Six – Home Game in Buenos Aires

League schedule permitting, we'll take in a home game at Velez Sarsfield today. This was the second Argentine club which Bielsa managed, taking them to the league title in 1998. Failing that, we'll instead go to a game at another of Buenos Aires' top clubs such as Boca Juniors, River Plate or Independiente. (B)

Day Seven - Last Day of Your Argentina Holiday

Sadly, today will be the last day in Argentina. As most flights for the UK depart in the afternoon, you should have some free time this morning before being picked up from your hotel and taken to the airport for your international flight home. (B)

What's Included?

Our standard price for this Bielsa-themed tour is £2195 per person, which is based on two sharing a double or twin room in our standard hotels.

That price includes international flights from Leeds Bradford, plus all your accommodation, internal transport, transfers, tours, guides, entrance fees and match tickets, and breakfast every day.

We don't have any "local payments" or sneaky charges: everything you have read about on this itinerary is included in that price. And because everything we do is tailor-made, we don't have fixed departure dates or minimum numbers for our trips. Outside of national holidays or other special events, this price is valid for the whole of 2020.

International flights

So with the exception of a few meals, everything on your holiday is included. What we don't include as standard is your international flights, because with these you have a huge range of options depending on the date you want to travel, the route you want to fly, and your preferred departure airport in the UK.

We aren't tied to any particular airline, and we will be delighted to discuss all options with you, or you can even book the flights yourself if you prefer: it's totally up to you.