Marcelo Bielsa has blasted the United States Of America and CONMEBOL over their abysmal organization of the 2024 Copa America.
In the post-match presser after Uruguay’s 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the semi-finals, Bielsa lambasted CONMEBOL and the United States.
Marcelo Bielsa called out the lack of security at match venues and the state of the pitches at stadiums regularly used by teams in the NFL (Nation Football League, otherwise known as Rugby).
Marcelo Bielsa’s Comment On State Of Pitches At 2024 Copa America
Speaking on the conditions of the field that players have been subjected to play in, the former Leeds United boss angrily said:
“They’ve said that the pitches are in perfect condition and all the lies they have said here, doing a press conference to say that the pitches are perfect and you see how the grass patches won’t work.
“And they said the training facilities are perfect, but Bolivia couldn’t train and I have pictures to prove that it’s all lies, this is a plague of liars.”
Marcelo Bielsa Lambasting USA For Failing To Provide Good Pitches For The Tournament
In having a go at the United States, Marcelo Bielsa claimed they were inconsistent and untruthful with their assertions on the state of the pitches at the 2024 Copa America.
He said: “The Americans won’t tell you, I’ll give you a perfect pitch. They’ll tell you, I’ll give you a pitch put together three days ago, and the joints between grass patches don’t fit together.
“Look for a play on yesterday’s game inside the box and you’ll see how the ball double-taps and it’s because of that.
Bielsa noted the inability of Bolivia to train and sounded like it was overlooked due to the country involved.
He added: “And the training facilities were a disaster and Bolivia couldn’t train but they said, “It’s fine, it’s Bolivia.”
Marcelo Bielsa’s Dig At CONMEBOL
Concerning CONMEBOL, an incensed Marcelo Bielsa pointed out their inability to call to order Ednaldo Rodrigues, the Football Federation president of Brazil.
Bielsa said: “Then the penalty for Brazil and all the injustices with the lower classes of the competition, they say nothing about that.
“And then you get the referees being accused by the president of the federation saying they didn’t call a penalty for Brazil knowing how that conditions the next game, you know how this all is.”
Distasteful Occurrence At Full Time Of Uruguay Vs Colombia Encounter
Recall that ugly scenes erupted after the blast of the full-time whistle in the game between Uruguay and Colombia, as players of the former had to step in to defend their families, who were attacked by fans of the latter.
The incident drew wide condemnation from across the globe, particularly on the path of Colombian supporters, while journalists also questioned Bielsa on the punishments his players could receive for their actions.
Marcelo Bielsa Blast The Press Over Their Coverage Of The 2024 Copa America
Marcelo Bielsa, 68, took offense at the questions asked by the press, expressing his displeasure with the media coverage of the tournament.
He said: “Are you asking if there’s going to be sanctions on the ones that went to defend?”
“It’s a level of complicity, because the questions also act as a way to accomplice, I don’t know if all of you think the same way, if the question you ask wouldn’t be made by someone else, but this is what you journalists should be saying, not what I should be saying, with the risk of opening my mouth.”
Additionally, Bielsa shared that his players were owed apologies for the poor state of security in the United States Of America.
Uruguay Football Association Statement Over The Appalling Scene
The Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) has also come to the defense of its players over their apparent show of self-defense, stressing in a statement that the lack of adequate security in the stands was what led to “an unjustified but humanly understandable reaction” by its contingent.
They added: “This event took place in a context in which the proportion of Uruguayan fans was very small. Most of them were families, and there were insufficient security measures in place.
The Uruguayan football association condemned the show of aggression by the players but said that their behavior was “inevitable and natural”.
Uruguay In 2024 Copa America
Meanwhile, Uruguay were tagged as favorites for the tournament by many footballing enthusiasts and they were looking on course for the title.
However, they failed to convert their chances in their last 4 clash against Colombia and were ultimately punished for their profligacy in front of goal.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side battle Canada in the 3rd-place match of the 2024 Copa America slated for 1 a.m. (WAT) on Sunday, July 14, 2024.
