2023-05-12 10:30:42
Chic, here comes Bielsa again! The 67-year-old Argentinian coach will take charge of the Uruguay national team to lead it to the 2024 Copa America and then to the 2026 World Cup, as the Uruguayan Federation (AUF) announced on Thursday. ).
Nicknamed “El Loco”, spent in France by Marseille or Lille, the singular Argentine coach has already led the selections of Argentina (1998-2004) and Chile (2007-2011).
“We have reached an agreement”, “the differences in wording have been settled and all that remains is the signing of the contract”, the details of which have not been revealed, Jorge Casales, member of the Executive Council of the AUF.
La Celeste had no coach since the end of Diego Alonso’s contract after the elimination in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.
Bielsa is expected to lead his first matches in June in two friendlies to be determined, before starting the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada three months later.
He will only be the second non-Uruguayan to train the double world champion (1930, 1950) after Daniel Passarella, another Argentinian, between 1999 and 2001.
It was at the head of Argentina that he experienced his most resounding failure… but without resigning. Arrived as a huge favorite at the 2002 World Cup, the Argentina of Gabriel Batistuta and Hernan Crespo did not even cross the first round (just like the France team).
The native of Rosario, his hometown like Messi where since 2009 a stadium bears his name – a rarity – remains in charge despite this industrial accident and will achieve his greatest success with the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games at the head of the Olympic team.
However, he will leave the Albiceleste on his own, irritated at not having the support of his federation for the provision of internationals playing in Europe.
Renowned for his high standards, Bielsa is known in particular for imposing total commitment on his players in matches and in training. He is especially feared too, and feared, for his unpredictable bloodshed, capable of slamming doors unceremoniously.
As in Marseille, which he left on the evening of the first day of the 2015 championship for a last minute change in his new contract. He was, however, coming out of a season full of hope with OM, part of a cannonball before experiencing hiccups and ending in 4th place.
Often sitting in his cooler by the side of the pitch, Bielsa led 41 games in Marseille, where he was idolized, before making a brief stint of… two days at Lazio in Rome, then making a sad return to France, in Lille, from February to November 2017, before being disembarked for lack of results.
El “Loco” seemed to settle down with age, spending three and a half seasons on the Leeds bench before being dropped again in February 2022 after 170 appearances.
With Celeste, he will notably have under his command the Uruguayan stars Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Darwin Nuñez (Liverpool) or Ronald Araujo (Barcelona).
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