Bielsa holds practice match, tries Valdivia out as playmaker

SANTIAGO.- After being absent from the Chilean national soccer team for more than a year, forward Jorge Valdivia attended his first practice with Bielsa today.

Valdivia, who plays for Palmeiras, had his long-awaited first meeting with the Argentine coach at this morning’s practice session, which took place at the Milli Takimlar Tesistleri facility in Istanbul.

During his debut, the former midfielder for Colo Colo was given the opportunity to train as the playmaker after Bielsa set up a practice match this morning, splitting the group into two teams of eight players each.

One team was formed by: Claudio Bravo; Waldo Ponce, Ismael Fuentes, Carlos Carmona, Claudio Maldonado, Rodrigo Tello, Alexis Sánchez and Jean Beausejour.

The other was made up of: Miguel Pinto; Pablo Contreras, Gonzalo Jara, Gonzalo Fierro, Marco Estrada, Roberto Cereceda, Jorge Valdivia and Matías Celis.