Bielsa admits he leaves nothing to Uruguayan football after World Cup exit

Marcelo Bielsa admitted he had left nothing to Uruguayan football after Uruguay were eliminated from the World Cup with a 1-0 defeat by Spain in Guadalajara. The two-time world champions failed to win a game in a group that included Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia, managing only draws against both before the loss to Spain. The decisive moment came in the 42nd minute when a weak strike from Alex Baena squirmed through the hands of legendary goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, who had come out of international retirement in March at Bielsa's request. Muslera was withdrawn at half-time, becoming the first goalkeeper in history to make three mistakes leading to goals in a single World Cup. Bielsa said Muslera decided to come off, adding: "The decision I took was not to undermine Muslera's confidence, but rather to maintain it." He also substituted captain Federico Valverde in the second half, explaining he wanted to add a more physical presence to his attack. Valverde departed angrily with his shirt covering his mouth. After the match, Bielsa lost his temper in a post-match interview, at one point responding "Nothing" when asked if he had spoken to Muslera about the substitution. The 70-year-old Argentinian, who took over in 2023 and had previously described himself as "toxic", accepted full responsibility. "I am responsible for this disappointment," he said. "Obviously, I don't need to define this performance... if you ask me how my time [with the national team] will be remembered, it is a tenure that left nothing behind. I leave nothing to Uruguayan football, because any contribution I might make to a country where I have worked for three years fails to take root if results aren't achieved." Uruguay's run now stands at seven games without a win, including a 5-1 hammering by the USA. ITV pundit Gary Neville described the substitution of Muslera as "brutal" and said Bielsa had "decided to take everything down with him on the way out". Ange Postecoglou added that the absence of unity within the Uruguay camp was evident. Bielsa will not continue in the post, bringing an end to a colourful but ultimately unsuccessful tenure.