Argentina coach Bielsa 'has quit'
 |  Bielsa has quit as Argentine coach according to reports |
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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Argentina national coach Marcelo Bielsa has resigned less than three weeks after guiding the nation to their first Olympic title in Athens.
Argentina Football Association (AFA) president Julio Grondona told television: "This decision is possibly the result of so many years of hassle, which can make it difficult to find the energy to continue."
The 49-year-old fell out of favor when Argentina crashed out of the 2002 World Cup finals at the first hurdle but restored some of his popularity by reaching this year's Copa America final where they lost to Brazil.
Victory at the Olympics where they beat Paraguay 1-0 in the final led many to believe Bielsa would stay on in his post till after the 2006 World Cup finals.
The most popular candidate to replace him is Carlos Bianchi, who quit from the Boca Juniors coaching post at the beginning of July citing family reasons.
Bianchi won the South American Libertadores Cup with Boca Juniors three times in four years and led them to this year's final, resigning immediately after they lost to Colombia's Once Caldas.
Bielsa's reported resignation came just as he appeared to be winning back the confidence of the Argentine public following his team's shock failure in Japan and South Korea.
In the last three months, Bielsa has successfully rebuilt his team, blending in younger players such as forward Carlos Tevez and midfielders Javier Mascherano and Luis Gonzalez.
Bielsa, who comes from a family of lawyers, is regarded as one of the most eccentric figures in international football and the black sheep of the family.
His older brother Rafael is Argentina's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
After an undistinguished playing career, Bielsa turned to coaching and was the surprise choice to replace Daniel Passarella after the 1998 World Cup.
His team cantered through the qualifying competition for the 2002 World Cup and arrived in Japan as favorites only to fail to progress beyond the first-round group stage.
But his team selections have often baffled the Argentine public. He never allowed Hernan Crespo and Gabriel Batistuta to play together earlier in his reign and has been reluctant to give Javier Saviola an extended run in the team.
