“El Loco” Bielsa lashed out at the organization of the Copa America and criticized the sanctions that will be imposed on Uruguayan players defending their relatives after being attacked by fans after the match with Colombia.
In a press conference full of tension, Marcelo Bielsa did not skimp on words to defend the reaction of his players during the incidents that occurred after the Copa America semifinal between Uruguay and Colombia.
At the event, which took place this Friday before the third-place match against Canada, football was relegated to the background while Bielsa passionately and vehemently addressed the altercations involving footballers, coaching staff, fans and family members.
“If they didn’t do that, they would have been condemned by everyone. How are you not going to defend your mother, your sister, your baby. How can you not defend them if the arguments for that not to happen failed: prevention and escape door. The sanction is not for the footballers if not for those who forced them to act as they acted, they had no choice … And it turns out that we have to see if we are afraid of possible sanctions. The only thing that would be missing is that there are sanctions. All this is a witch hunt and a disgrace,» Bielsa justified, vehemently defending the attitude of his leaders.
The coach, known for his temperament and passion, did not hold back when referring to the possible sanctions that could be imposed on several of his players. «You would have to ask me if the players have received apologies from those who have to safeguard the safety of spectators. The logic that prevails in this situation is mothers, with babies in their arms, assaulted. Say sorry to them, man! What are they going to suspend, all he has to say is: ‘We made such mistakes, I take responsibility and we take charge’. There is a unique truth here: the prevention and the escape door failed. The one who speaks, even if it is true, if he exposes us, punishment…».
Bielsa’s speech was not limited to defending his players; he also attacked the organization of the tournament. «The United States, when it felt that its interests were being attacked, created the FIFA Gate with the FBI. They did what they did, but it was for their interests. Nothing happened here: this was an extraordinary party, full stadiums, competitiveness,» he said, showing an anger rarely seen in him.
He continued his attack by pointing out the shortcomings on the playing fields and the lack of sincerity on the part of the organizers. «What you can’t do is keep deceiving, that the courts are perfect. The head of the playing field holds a press conference to explicitly lie. I know perfectly well everything he does and how badly he does it. He says that Vinícius doesn’t see, that Scaloni doesn’t have to talk, that the training camps are perfect. I have a collection of photos of the training camps patched together. The owners of these fields were telling us: ‘Excuse me, this is unpresentable. You can’t train here and we understand that.’ Scaloni was told that he had already spoken once and not to talk about the subject anymore because otherwise he was going to pay the consequences. The players were also threatened athletically.»
Bielsa closed his speech with a blunt accusation: «All the lies they have told saying that the courts are perfect, or the training camps are perfect. This is a plague of liars, and I’ve already said everything I promised myself I wouldn’t say.”
Faced with the facts of public knowledge, the Uruguayan Football Association issued a statement detailing its version of events and defending the conduct of its delegation. The organization highlighted the exemplary behavior of its team and regretted the lack of security that led to the intervention of the players in defense of their relatives.
The Uruguayan Football Association, with 124 years of history, is proud to maintain respect for the rules of citizen conduct and rejects all forms of violence in sports. However, the events narrated, which violated the concept of family and lack of protection, generated an understandable but not justified human reaction.
