Uruguay did not want to learn: Bielsa says a fiery goodbye in a 100-minute press conference

Former Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa said his message never resonated with the national team as he considered the team’s exit from the World Cup in a lengthy farewell news conference on Tuesday.

Speaking in Montevideo after stepping down from the role following Uruguay’s group-stage exit, Bielsa took a stark assessment of his tenure, saying he felt the players had never really bought into what he was trying to teach.

“I am absolutely sure that nobody cares what I know,” Bielsa said during a 100-minute press conference.

“I know when someone cares what I know. Nothing I tried to convey was important, on any level. It was never important from my point of view. I don’t see anything wrong with that – other people aren’t interested in knowing what I know. Case closed.”

Bielsa, who took over as Uruguay manager in May 2023, also took responsibility for the disappointing campaign and refused to blame his players for the result.

“My responsibility for what happened is very clear. I cannot justify the position we ended up in,” Bielsa said.

“My management of the players I had was insufficient. We did our best, both my colleagues and myself, and the players, and it was not enough.”

BIELSA LEAVES URUGUAY

Uruguay’s World Cup campaign ended in disappointment after they failed to win a Group H match.

They opened with a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia before surrendering a second-half lead in a 2-2 draw against Cape Verde. Needing a positive result against Spain in their final group game to progress, Uruguay lost 1-0 after a goalkeeping error.

Despite Bielsa’s early exit, he claimed the performances deserved more.

“There is no serious, thoughtful, meditated and explained analysis that doesn’t see us win against Saudi Arabia, that doesn’t see us win against Cape Verde and that doesn’t see us draw with Spain,” he said.

Bielsa also defended veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, whose error against Spain proved costly.

According to the coach, Muslera was not feeling well before the game and asked to be substituted at halftime after mentally recovering from the mistake.

“I have never had a player ask for a change because of the effect of the mistakes he made on his spirit,” Bielsa said.

“Muslera told me that he was so affected by the mistake he made that he preferred to stop playing because the group’s options were intact.

Bielsa’s departure ends a three-year spell in charge of Uruguay, with the coach insisting a different approach would not have changed the team’s World Cup result.

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Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

1 Jul 2026 17:07 IST