Lille terminates Bielsa's contract after 3-week suspension

Lille OSC announced Friday the club has terminated the contract of manager Marcelo Bielsa three weeks after the Argentine tactician earned a suspension for a string of poor results.

The club currently sits third from bottom in Ligue 1 having won just five of its 17 league fixtures this season, with Bielsa failing to deliver results even after the club invested over €60 million in player transfers for this campaign.

Bielsa had supposedly left the team to fly to Chile to see his friend and former fitness coach Luis Maria Bimini, who had been hospitalised with a serious illness, according to ESPN FC. One week later, Bielsa reportedly ignored a summons from Lille to attend talks with the club prior to "a possible dismissal."

As ESPN FC points out, the 62-year-old has a checkered past with managerial stints, suddenly quitting his role at Marseille due to a contract dispute and also leaving Lazio just two days after signing in July 2016.