Suarez: Bielsa has ´divided´ Uruguay national team with tactics and approach

Luis Suarez feels Marcelo Bielsa’s coaching style has “divided” Uruguay’s national team, as he revealed the negative atmosphere within the camp during the Copa America.

Suarez retired from international duty last month as Uruguay’s leading scorer with 69 goals, while his tally of 143 caps is only bettered by Diego Godin (161).

The veteran forward was part of the side that finished third at the Copa America in July; La Celeste’s best performance at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 2011.

However, he revealed it was not a happy camp in the United States, where Bielsa’s tactics and approach caused friction among the players.

Suarez said some were contemplating their international futures, while he was critical of the treatment of midfielder Agustin Canobbio, who was used as a “sparring partner”.

“I will ask the fans not to take it out on the players when things go wrong,” the Inter Miami forward told DSports. “Bielsa has divided the whole group because of the way he trains.

“The players will reach a limit, they’ll explode. There were even team-mates who said to me they were only playing in the Copa America and nothing else.

“We all know that he doesn’t like to deal with leaders or players with experience. I had to keep quiet out of respect for the national team and for the sake of coexistence. I didn’t want to be part of the problem.

“A player who is one of the 26 selected for the Copa America can’t be made to participate as if he were a ‘sparring’ partner. It’s annoying. I understand Agustin. I’ll support him, he’s been holding back a lot.

“The staff are not allowed to come in and greet us or eat with us. Many of the players held a meeting to ask the coach to at least say: ‘good morning’. He didn’t even say hello. It hurts me to see what the national team is going through.”

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— Luis Suárez (@LuisSuarez9) October 5, 2024