Last week, Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez expressed his issues with Marcelo Bielsa, the current manager of the Uruguay national team and former Leeds United coach.
Suárez expressed concerns about Marcelo Bielsa, pointing out the coach’s distant attitude and how he didn’t even acknowledge the national team players. As a part of the Uruguayan squad for the 2024 Copa America, the Inter Miami star had a close-up view of Bielsa’s management style.
Although Bielsa guided Uruguay to the semifinals, Suárez was critical of how he handled Agustín Canobbio from Club Athletico Paranaense, who saw little playing time despite training with the first team.
Uruguayan players back Marcelo Bielsa despite controversy
Atlético de Madrid’s José María Giménez commented on what is happening within the Uruguayan national team, a situation he described as an opportunity even though from the outside, everything looks like chaos.
The defender pointed out something that caught his attention regarding the repercussions of Suárez’s statements and said that the group backs Bielsa despite the issues surrounding the coaching staff.
“All the players who have been part of the National Team always gave 100 percent to the coach and to the National Team above all, and that will continue to be our mentality,” Giménez said (h/t ESPN Uruguay).
“My relationship is professional. In the end, he is my coach, and I am just a pawn in all this. It’s also important to understand that the football player may be the protagonist on the field, but off it, he has to follow orders. Always with respect, supporting his decisions. We are with the coach 100 percent.”
“We are completely grateful to him. And this comes from someone who is the third or fourth center-back, so just imagine what the rest of my teammates think. We are very thankful because he is providing us with many tools; we are with him, but it’s true that in terms of coexistence, there were things that made us uncomfortable. And the best thing is to talk about it as the adults we are, each contributing in any way we can, because this was known in the Complex.”
Bielsa and his team must tackle the issues head-on and move past them as they prepare to face Peru and Ecuador in the CONMEBOL 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying process. If they don’t perform well, this controversy will likely stay in the spotlight.
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