Back to the future for Marcelo Bielsa's former Leeds United translator with shock reappointment

Flores first linked up with Bielsa at Marseille after leaving his native Argentina to study in Ireland, then accompanied the famous head coach to Elland Road to serve as one of his coaching assistants.

Leeds’ promotion season saw Flores combine his coaching duties with translation of Bielsa for press conferences and broadcast interviews, before he departed in the summer of 2020 to go travelling with his partner.

Godoy Cruz first appointed the 41-year-old in August 2021 and despite a flying start to his managerial career, he departed in April of this year with a record of eight wins and 11 draws from 28 games in charge.

But the Primera División side have today announced Flores’ return to Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, accompanied by technical staff members Rubén Rodríguez, Bruno Martellotto, Mauricio David Silva Giuseppe, Franco Bianchi and César Córdoba.

Flores, who became known as ‘the translator’ for his work with Bielsa, has replaced a two-man management team of Sergio Gómez and Favio Orsi.

Bielsa himself is yet to return to the dugout following his sacking by Leeds in February of this year. He was part of a proposal put forward at Athletic Bilbao by Iñaki Arechabaleta, a presidential candidate who finished second in the voting to Jon Urriate, and has been linked with various clubs in South America, along with national team vacancies, and has been photographed by fans on vacation in Uruguay. His presence has been confirmed for a managerial seminar to be held in Norway later this month, however.