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Marcelo Bielsa rips Copa America organization by CONMEBOL in United States, calling tournament a “disgrace”

Uruguay Head Coach Marcelo Bielsa

Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa has taken 2024 Copa America organizers CONMEBOL and host United States to task for what he perceives as a litany of problems surrounding the major international tournament this summer.

The tournament has received criticism at various stages on a number of fronts, including poor pitch condition, inadequate refereeing, lack of security, and other issues.

Yet Bielsa’s rant in his pre-match press conference ahead of the third-place match against Canada was the most vociferous attack of the competition yet, touching on most of the aforementioned plights.

The 68-year-old Bielsa is one of the most respected head coaches in the modern game. His tactical innovations from the last 20 years have been spread across the globe, and his coaching tree is one of the most impressive of the last few decades. To put it simply, when Bielsa speaks, people listen.

Ballgist NIG. brings you all of Bielsa’s comments as well as context for his complaints and where they may have arisen from.

Marcelo Bielsa defends players actions after semifinal vs. Colombia

Uruguay’s defeat to Colombia in the semifinal on Wednesday culminated with one of the most explosive post-match incidents in recent memory. Multiple players leapt into the crowd following the final whistle, having felt forced to defend their families from fan aggression in Charlotte.

While no sanctions have yet been officially announced, CONMEBOL confirmed they have opened an investigation, and it’s thought likely that multiple Uruguay players could face suspension for the third-place game or longer.

“The sanction should not be for the players, but for those who forced them to act in this way,”

Bielsa said in defense of his squad.

“They had no choice, they were left without a choice, and yet we are the ones who are afraid of possible sanctions. This is all a witch hunt. It is all a disgrace, in a country that as an organizer has responsibility.”

Bielsa criticized what he believes to be a lack of security at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte that contributed to the post-match incident, using references to U.S. laws regarding gun ownership and home defense to make his emphatic point.

“In the United States, you enter a person’s home and the right to protection exists,” Bielsa said. “Meanwhile, Uruguayan soccer leaders prevent fans from encroaching on their positions and they have to leave the country to avoid going to jail. Why is nobody saying this? Why is nobody saying ‘this has nothing to do with the soccer players, who were forced to do this’?

“We are in the United States, the country [using air quotes] of security. Here there had to be prevention and, if that failed, an escape door as a resource. There wasn’t. If the players did not take action, they would have been condemned by all of us. How can you not defend your mother, your sister, your wife or a baby?”

Marcelo Bielsa rips USA for Copa America playing surfaces

The playing surfaces at the 2024 Copa America have been a repeated topic of conversation. As many of the venues in the United States feature artificial turf fields, which are not allowed at the highest level of FIFA competition, many of the surfaces feature natural grass laid on top of the turf.

This has resulted in a number of hard playing surfaces that feature significant bounce, because the thickness of the temporary grass is not at the level of normal, permanent playing surfaces.

In addition, the seams between the strips of laid grass have often come apart, resulting in brittle playing surfaces which often tear apart quickly under the stress of a match.

Bielsa has added himself to the multiple critics of this process, but went multiple steps further. He accused tournament organizers of lying about the condition of the pitches, as well as silencing players and coaches from speaking out on the topic under threat of sanctions.

“What they can’t keep deceiving is that the pitches are perfect, explicitly lie in meetings. The head of the playing fields, whom I know and I know perfectly well, what she does, and how badly she does it, meets with us to say that it is a visual issue… that [Brazil star] Vinicius Jr. can’t see, that [Argentina coach Lionel] Scaloni doesn’t know what he’s talking about, that the pitches are perfect.”

Marcelo Bielsa says USA used FIFA lawsuits for “its own interests”

The most sensational part of Bielsa’s comments were his references to the corruption and bribery charges brought forward by the United States government against multiple FIFA executives in 2015, known colloquially as “FIFA-gate.”

“The United States, you may remember, created FIFA-Gate with the FBI when it felt that its interests were being attacked. They did what they did but it was for their own interests.”

Bielsa is, essentially, accusing the United States of going to great lengths to protect its own interests — such as its defeat to Qatar in the 2022 World Cup host election — but failing to protect others in similar capacities.

Argentina coach Scaloni defends Bielsa’s comments

The day after Marcelo Bielsa’s comments rocked the Copa America community, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni, whom Bielsa referenced in his own rant, came to the legendary coach’s defense.

Scaloni backed up everything that Bielsa said, saying he “absolutely agrees” with the Uruguay coach and said “anyone would have reacted the same way” had they been put in the position of the Uruguay players.

The Argentina head coach was first asked about Bielsa’s comments about pitch conditions, which began his lengthy response.

“I made it clear already [how I feel],” Scaloni said in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Copa America final. “I was the first because we were in the opening match. I still share that opinion, but there was nothing we could do about it after my first press conference when I said everything, and things are still that way. I thought it was best not to talk about that, because that would be like I was looking for excuses.

“Against Ecuador we played on an even worse field, but we decided to overcome it because we didn’t want to use it as an excuse. I absolutely agree with what he [Bielsa] said.”

Without being asked a follow-up, Scaloni then went on to discuss Bielsa’s comments on the post-match incident following Uruguay vs. Colombia.

“Tomorrow, it is supposed to be a party [at the 2024 Copa America final]. In addition to possibly winning a title, it would be great if we could have a happy ending. The images [from the Charlotte semifinal] were very sad, anyone would have reacted in the same way [as the Uruguay players]. I don’t know if someone is to blame for that or not, but watching your family in the middle of the riots, or even close to that, is something that will make you lose your mind.

“We need to pay close attention to that and preserve our players, we ask them to be role models but no reasonable person would react in any other way. I hope nothing happens like that tomorrow. I hope that the Argentine and Colombian fans have a party, I wish it with all my heart.

“My family will be there, all the families and friends will be there, we can’t be thinking that something could happen because one of us celebrated or made fun of another. We have to learn it once and for all. We are the ones in charge of transmitting that tranquility, I am lucky enough to have the microphone so I can say it. The images of the other day look like they were taken 50 years ago. That worries me because of what could happen tomorrow. I am sending this message that we hope will be well received.”

Bielsa is referencing comments by Brazil star Vinicius Jr. and Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni for their past criticism of the Copa America playing surfaces. Vinicius Jr, a Ballon d’Or candidate this year, said after a group stage win over Paraguay,

“The Copa America is always difficult because of the pitches, because of the referees – who always go against us – and because of the way CONMEBOL treats people.”

Scaloni, meanwhile, was critical of the pitch in Atlanta after their tournament opener against Canada, calling it, “‘not suitable for this kind of players.” Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez had similar thoughts, calling it a “disaster” after speaking about how the ball bounced at an abnormal level.

It’s unclear who Bielsa is referring to regarding the playing fields, or what meetings, but it can be assumed he’s potentially referencing meetings with tournament organizers before each match at various locations.

“I have a collection of photos of the fields that are no longer joined together, but patched together,” Bielsa claimed. “We have been to training camps where we told them, ‘excuse me guys, this is unacceptable, we can’t train here.’ But since this affects the organizers, nothing has been said and the threats come.”

“[Lionel] Scaloni was told ‘you’ve already spoken once, don’t say any more because otherwise we’ll pay the consequences’…The players can’t speak, they’re all threatened. What’s the threat? The same as now, sporting. Are they going to suspend them? But apologize, man! All they have to do is say ‘we made such mistakes, we’re responsible, we’ll take responsibility’. And that’s it.”

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