Marcelo Bielsa resigns from Olympique Marseille post as Mexican national team rumors swirl

Marcelo Bielsa, Olympique Marseille

What a coincidence. The Mexican national team needs a head coach and their rumored target just left his job. 


Olympique Marseille's Argentine head coach Marcelo Bielsa announced his resignation on Saturday at a press conference following the Ligue 1 club's season-opening 1-0 loss to Caen. He told the press that he submitted his letter of resignation to the club's president following the defeat. 


In his resignation letter, Bielsa accused Olympique Marseille officials of changing the terms of his agreement to stay on at the club. Bielsa guided Marseille to a fourth-place finish in Ligue 1 last year.


While Mexican media outlets claim that Bielsa is on his way to El Tri (ESPN Deportes reporter John Sutcliffe says it's almost a done deal), the 60-year-old claims that he is heading back to his native Argentina and that he is not leaving his post to take another job. Just a few days ago Bielsa stated that he had not spoken to the Mexican federation about the opening. 


The Mexican national team, which fired former head coach Miguel Herrera over a bust-up with a reporter, has two friendlies slated for September -- vs. Trinidad & Tobago Sept. 4 at Rio Tinto Stadium and Sept. 8 vs. Argentina in Arlington, Texas -- before facing the US national team on October 10 in a single-match playoff for the right to play in the 2017 Confederations Cup.