Note, the Argentine coach is known for having his emotions on the outside of his skin, 110% committed to what he is doing.
Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay are out of the 2026 World Cup after a 1-0 loss to Spain in their last group game – and the Argentine’s frustration was clear for all to see.
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It has been a tough championship for the two-time world champions. Uruguay only managed a draw against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, before they had to see themselves beaten by Spain. At the same time, Cape Verde advanced from second place in their World Cup debut – with three draws in three games.
After the game, Bielsa seemed very emotional. On the DAZN broadcast, he lost his temper before the interview even started – and was caught on camera yelling at the journalist to get it done quickly, so he could get into the locker room with his team.
“Just do it now!” Bielsa shouted.
Throughout the interview, he appeared upset and gave short, sharp answers. He claimed that Fernando Muslera himself asked to be substituted after the mistake that led to the goal, and that the blame for the elimination lay with himself – because he had not gotten the best out of the team. He ended with a grumpy “Please”.
In the post-match press conference, Bielsa seemed more balanced as he explained his decisions:
“Muslera decided to go out, and I replaced Valverde with Viñas because I wanted to add more power to the attack – it depends on both the one who comes in and the one who goes out.
Bielsa then summed up his time in charge of Uruguay – and did not hide his disappointment:
“I leave nothing to Uruguayan football. Any contribution a coach can make to a country he has worked in for three years is meaningless without results.
“Fourth place in the World Cup qualification was worthless. Third place in the Copa América was just as meaningless. And this achievement needs no further explanation. My time here has been a complete failure.
