Marcelo Bielsa: Luis Suárez Comments Affected My Authority

Uruguay national team head coach, Marcelo Bielsa, has admitted his authority as manager has been impacted by the public accusations made by Luis Suárez earlier this month.

The former Uruguay forward called out Bielsa for implementing what he called problematic work conditions during the 2024 Copa América, before detailing the lack of communication between the coaching staff and players.

Suárez expressed his feelings of hurt regarding the manager’s actions and urged fans not to blame the players if things don’t go as planned in the future.

Bielsa publicly addressed the matter for the first time after Uruguay’s 1-0 loss to Peru in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers.

“I am not unaware of what happened and I know that my authority is affected in some way,” Bielsa said. “But I prepared for the match with the utmost seriousness and the players’ response was the same as when I started working here. It did not alter the conviction with which the match was prepared in any way.”

Before the defeat, Ignacio Alonso, president of the Uruguay Football Association, assured his unwavering support for Bielsa and emphasized that the coach continues to be a vital part of the project leading up to the 2026 World Cup, just as he stated when he took office in May 2023.

“Correct, what Luis said is true; he has told me things, and Jorge [Giordano] as well,” Alonso told the De fútbol se habla así to show on DirecTV.

“There is a transition from one era to another, with a generation that enters with an incredible legacy and we bet that Marcelo [Bielsa], as a football leader, could be the ideal figure for our team,” Alonso said. “We are doing well, the team has shown interesting things.

“Uruguay has the hope of reaching 2026 with an optimal football commitment.”

Despite the loss, Uruguay sits in third place in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings with 15 points in nine games.

The top six teams will earn direct qualification for the World Cup, while the seventh-place team will have to compete in an inter-confederation playoff for the opportunity to secure a place in the tournament.