If there was anyone at the club last season who intrigued fans as much as Marcelo Bielsa then it was Salim Lamrani. Doctor of Iberian and Latin American Studies at the Paris Sorbonne University, lecturer at the University of La Réunion, specializing in relations between Cuba and the United States, contributor to the Huffington Post and for the 2018-2019 Marcelo Bielsa’s translator at Leeds United. Lamrani first linked up with Beilsa at Lille and was described by French newspaper Le Monde as 'the most overqualified man in Ligue 1', that certainly makes him the most overqualified person in the Championship.
With a series of ‘memories from Leeds United’ Tweets many suspect Lamrani may not be at Bielsa’s side next season, especially with Carlos Corberán having taken over translation duties in recent weeks. But Lamrani will leave us with great memories and his relationship with Bielsa endeared them both to the fans. Bielsa did not resemble the ‘El Loco’ we had been warned about when he was with Bielsa, the smiles and smirks between them, the affectionate glances made him more human, it wasn’t just Bielsa’s words Lamrani translated for the fans but his emotions and passion too.
Video by MoscowhiteTSB, the moment when Bielsa said he would give Jack Clarke “as long as he needs” to recover but Lamrani translated this as “we hope he’ll be back as soon as possible”.
Lamrani was like a fan on the inside of the club last season, genuinely excited about being at the club, sharing every moment with the fans and players. As much as the fans regarded him the players clearly regarded him in equal esteem and he built close relationships with many of them. In his recent tweets he said of Gaetano Berardi he said "As a man he is discreet and courteous, however on the pith be becomes a lion", of Stuart Dallas he Tweeted "On very few occasions I had the privilege to meet someone as generous as Stuart Dallas".
Here are Lamrani’s memories of Gaetano Berardi and Stuart Dallas, fans will be hoping for many more on his Twitter (@SalimLamraniOff) over the coming weeks;
Lamrani is also well known for giving the players nicknames, below are some of them, can you guess which player each of the nicknames applies to? Answers in the comments.
“The Pitbull”
"The Unbeatable"
"The Arrow"
"The Brain"
“The Strong”
“The Professional”
"The Lion"
"The Fighter"
"El Gato"
"The Example"
“The Brave”
“The Rocket”
“The Wave”
"The Tornado"
"The Lightning"
"The Generous"
"The Warrior"
