Luis Suarez Criticizes Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay Team Culture

Uruguay's all time scorer accused Bielsa of "separating the entire group"

Luis Suárez (left) and Marcelo Bielsa (right) during Copa América 2024 / IMAGO/Agencia-MexSport

Luis Suárez took to the media to criticize Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa. A month after announcing his international retirement Suarez denounced his former coach for creating a toxic environment and for separating the group of players.

The Inter Miami forward appeared on Uruguay TV channel DSports program "De Fútbol Se Habla Así" and uncovered the bad relationship himself—and other Uruguay national team players—have with Bielsa. He detailed the bad experiences he suffered during this past summer's Copa América and even described Bielsa's treatment of some teammates as disrespectful.

"During Copa América there were situations that hurt me but I had to stay quiet for respect to the national team" Suárez said.

"A lot of the senior players on the team held a meeting with the manager to ask him to at least say good morning, he wouldn't even say hello," he added.

The former Leeds United manager took over as Uruguay manager in the summer of 2023. He led Uruguay to a third place finish in Copa América 2024—the nation's best finish since it won the cup in 2011. The end of the tournament was marred in controversy when fan violence began after losing to Colombia.

The coexistence in Uruguay's camp during the cup was very difficult according to Suárez.

"Players are going to reach a limit and they are going to explode," Suárez revealed. "There were players that during Copa América were saying that they would play the tournament and then they'd stop playing (for Uruguay)."

The former Barcelona and Liverpool player didn't hold back. He touched on the fact that Bielsa's strict and cold culture didn't just apply to the players, but everyone connected to the national team.

"In New York he asked us not to stop and say hello to the fans that were there for us," the 37-year-old player said.

"In the Celeste Complex (back in Uruguay) the employees are no longer allowed to say hello or eat with us. They have to be careful even about what door they use to enter the building. It breaks my soul that that's life day to day in the complex now."

Suárez put an end to his Uruguay career on Sept. 6, when Uruguay played Paraguay in a qualifier at the Estadio Centenario de Montevideo.

He's the nations all time leading scorer with 69 goals in 142 games played. Bielsa described him as a player that will be "imprinted in soccer history." Nevertheless, the lid seems to have been lifted from deep issues that currently exist within the intimacy of the national team. Suárez wants the players to be held innocent of this.

"I ask for people to not to take it out on players if things don't go well," Suarez pleaded. "Bielsa has separated the entire group even in the way they train."

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