For Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino, Sunday's game against Athletic Bilbao will offer more than the chance to collect the first win of the young Spanish league season.
Espanyol's home opener will pit the young Argentine coach against his old mentor: Bilbao's new manager Marcelo Bielsa.
''It's an honor to be able to face off against Bielsa,'' Pochettino said. ''He is like a second father. Sometimes, I see the mark of Marcelo in things I do.''
This weekend's game at Cornella-El Prat stadium is the first time the two have met as rival coaches.
The relationship between the two Argentines goes back to when Bielsa- then a scout for Newells Old Boys- stayed true to his nickname of ''El Loco'' (''The Crazy One'') by coming to the 14-year-old Pochettino's house at two o'clock in the morning to persuade the teenager to sign with the Argentine club.
Pochettino debuted for Newell's at 17 and played under Bielsa's orders at the club from 1990-1992. The two would again coincide on Argentina's national team and at Espanyol when Bielsa had a brief stint as its coach in the 1998-1999 season.
''I don't know if he is ''loco'' about football, but he is a good coach, very true to his ideas,'' said Pochettino, who is entering his fourth season at the helm of Espanyol.
The appreciation is mutual.
''I have a deep admiration for Mauricio in every aspect, both in football and personally,'' said Bielsa, who advised Pochettino when the former player wanted to become a coach. ''I respect him a lot. I think he is a great coach.''
Even so, the former Chile national coach tried to downplay the game against his old student.
''That we are meeting in a game does not seem very special to me (since) we both have the same profession,'' Bielsa said. ''It is a chance to get a priceless win,'' he said, after Bilbao drew 1-1 to the promoted Rayo Vallecano in round one.
Pochettino's side is also in search of its first win after losing 1-0 to Mallorca.
''We cannot slip up at home,'' Pochettino said. ''Let the team that plays best win.''
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Joseph Wilson contributed to this report.
