5) Eduardo Berizzo

For the second consecutive year, unheralded Celta Vigo have reached the Copa del Rey semi-finals and just as was the case last year with victory over Atletico Madrid, no one could deny Los Celetes their deserved win against Real Madrid. At the centre of both triumphs and the club’s recent revival is Eduardo Berizzo, an outspoken, no nonsense, former player, who learned his craft under the watchful eye of Marcelo Bielsa.

Berizzo only retired as a player ten years ago but couldn’t have had a better apprenticeship in the world of coaching as he almost immediately landed the role as Bielsa’s assistant with Chile.

El Loco’s stamp has been evident and whether it was with O’Higgins or with Celta, Berizzo’s sides have played with an archetypal Bielsista intensity. Having led Celta back into European competition and again to a domestic cup semi, it surely won’t be long before Berizzo is being headhunted by Europe’s elite.

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