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Lizzy Becherano
Oct 4, 2024, 12:50 AM ET
Luis Suárez exposed what he called problematic working conditions imposed by Uruguay national team head coach Marcelo Bielsa during the 2024 Copa América, before urging fans not to blame players if “something goes wrong” moving forward.
Bielsa joined La Celeste on May 15, 2023, and immediately impacted the way the national team functions, according to Suárez.
“At the Celeste Complex, employees are not allowed to come in and greet us and eat with us,” he said on the DirecTV show “De fútbol se habla así.”
“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 … Matias Vecino was the first to see it coming. Nobody questions the fact that a guy like Vecino, who was 30 years old, left from one day to the next?”
Suárez went on to provide insight into the impact Bielsa’s leadership had during the 2024 Copa América, detailing the lack of communication between the coaching staff and players.
“There were situations at the Copa América that hurt me, but I didn’t say them for the sake of coexistence,” Suarez said on the show. “Many players held a meeting to ask the coach to at least say good morning to us, but he didn’t even say hello.”
La Celeste saw a decent run at the 2024 Copa América, finishing in third place after beating Canada 2-2 (4-3) in penalties. But beyond results, Suárez depicted a grim image behind the scenes.
“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,” he said.
The forward has since retired from the national team, playing his final match Sept. 6. He departed as Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer with 69 goals in 143 games across 17 years.
Still, before hanging up his jersey, Suárez noted he spoke with Bielsa in hopes of improving the current situation.
“I had a five-minute chat with Bielsa, speaking as a group leader, and at the end he only replied, ‘Thank you very much,'” Suarez said.
As the focus now shifts to the 2026 World Cup, the forward pleaded that fans be understanding of the situation. Though La Celeste sit in third place on the Conmebol rankings with 15 points in eight games, Suárez signaled for caution.
“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,” he said.
Uruguay returns to action Oct. 11 against Peru in the next round of World Cup qualifiers.
