Luis Suarez has blasted Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa during a recent interview. The superstar striker recently announced his retirement from the national team after earning 143 total caps. Suarez’s final six official appearances with Uruguay came with Bielsa at the helm. This is even though the coach has been in place since May 2023.
During a recent appearance on the DirecTV show De Fútbol Se Habla Así, Suarez highlighted some significant changes within the national team since Bielsa took over. This, according to the Inter Miami star, includes creating a troublesome working environment and even being disrespectful to the players.
“At the Celeste Complex, employees are not allowed to come in and greet us and eat with us,” claimed Suarez. “They have to be careful even at the door they have to enter. It breaks my heart that this is how life is in the complex today.”
Suarez also pointed out that he is not the only former Uruguay player to see a problem with the manager. Like the striker, Matias Vecino also announced his international retirement earlier in 2024. The midfielder earned 70 caps with the national team and currently plays for Italian club Lazio.
“Matias Vecino was the first to see it coming,” continued Suarez. “Nobody questions the fact that a guy like Vecino, who was 30 years old, left from one day to the next?”
Suarez also detailed a rift between Bielsa, as well as his coaching staff, and the players at Copa America 2024. The striker asserted that there was a serious lack of communication between the coaches and players during the tournament.
“There were situations at the Copa America that hurt me, but I didn’t say them for the sake of coexistence,” explained Suarez. “Many players held a meeting to ask the coach to at least say good morning to us, but he didn’t even say hello.”
“Bielsa gives a conference and talks wonderful things about people, and in New York, there was a day when he asked us not to stop to greet people and I stood up and told him that we were going to greet people anyway.”
Uruguay eventually finished third at the tournament here in the United States. The team’s semifinal loss to Colombia was marred by a brawl in the stands between Uruguay players and Colombian fans. Suarez only played 76 total minutes in the competition, with a majority of this time coming in the third-place game.
Suarez ended the conversation by issuing a warning to Uruguay fans. “Tomorrow, I ask people not to take it out on the players if something goes wrong. Bielsa has separated the whole group, even in the way they train,” stated the striker.
Following Copa America 2024, Bielsa and Uruguay have played two consecutive lackluster matches. The 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Venezuela in September both ended in 0-0 draws. Despite the disappointing displays, Uruguay remains in a solid qualifying spot.
Bielsa will next lead the team against Peru and Ecuador in the upcoming international break. Both of these national teams are currently below Uruguay in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings. Reporters will undoubtedly question Bielsa regarding the recent comments by Suarez ahead of the games.
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