Junior Firpo Shares Emotional Goodbye and Intense “Murderball” Memories with Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds
Junior Firpo’s Reunion with Marcelo Bielsa in an International Clash in Malaysia
Junior Firpo: Dominican Star Ready for Uruguayan Showdown
Junior Firpo, the standout player from the Dominican Republic, is set to face off against Uruguay under the familiar gaze of his former Leeds United coach, Marcelo Bielsa. The much-anticipated friendly match will take place this Friday at 09:45 AM in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Firpo, who played four seasons at Leeds between 2021 and 2025, fondly recalls his time with Bielsa and his meticulous style.
Insights from Firpo on Marcelo Bielsa’s Coaching
“He was a bit crazy, as his nickname suggests, but in a good way,” Firpo shared in 2023. “Bielsa was obsessively detail-oriented, and unless you could make the perfect pass, it didn’t count, even if you had to try 50 times.” He added that scoring a goal meant nothing to Bielsa unless the ball moved exactly as he envisioned.
The Emotional Farewell from Leeds United
Firpo recounted the poignant farewell from Leeds United under Bielsa’s tenure. “It was one of the toughest goodbyes to a coach I’ve ever experienced,” Firpo expressed emotionally. “Players who had been with him for years were in tears in the locker room. It felt like the club was sinking, and we preferred to go down with him rather than be rescued by someone else. It was a very difficult decision for the club,” he added.
Revisiting Bielsa’s Intense ‘Murderball’ Training
Firpo also remembered Bielsa’s rigorous ‘murderball’ training sessions, which involved an 11-vs-11 game with no stoppages or fouls. Staff members surrounded the field to quickly return out-of-play balls to maintain the intensity. “It’s maximum fatigue,” Firpo described. “We played non-stop, reaching higher performance metrics in training than in actual matches.”
Junior Firpo’s Return to Real Betis
On July 17, Real Betis announced the signing of Junior Firpo, with the player joining the Andalusian club until June 2028. This marks a significant return for Firpo, who began his career at Betis before moving to Barcelona and subsequently to Leeds United. The announcement was celebrated on social media, welcoming the defender back to his roots.
Firpo’s career started at Betis in 2014, elevating to the first team four years later. After 43 appearances, he transferred to Barcelona in 2019. Now, with his return to Betis, Firpo is set to compete for the left-back position alongside French player Romain Perraud and Swiss athlete Ricardo Rodríguez. Born in Santo Domingo, Firpo moved to Spain at six, where he started his football journey in Málaga before progressing to professional ranks.
