Manchester United‘s Manuel Ugarte is among Uruguay players unhappy with manager Marcelo Bielsa.
The former Leeds United boss has been in charge of the national team since May 2023 and has managed 35 matches.
Bielsa’s decision to leave Al-Qadsiah’s Nahitan Nández out of the World Cup squad didn’t please several Uruguay players. This includes the Manchester United man, who made his feelings clear in May.
At that time, he said: “It definitely surprised me because Nahitan is an important player for us, he played some very good and important matches and he’s part of the process. I have no idea what happened, but it was a surprise.”
Some of the midfielder’s compatriots have also expressed their annoyance over Nández’s omission.
Uruguay drew their first two World Cup matches against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, results way below expectations.
Manchester United man and others critical of Bielsa
La Celeste face Spain in the final group stage match on Saturday [UK time]. Ahead of this clash, ESPN Uruguay, relayed by Cope, covers the surprising development.
Marcelo Bielsa’s relationship with his players has been strained for ‘several months’. He believes some of them joined hands with Nahitan Nández and Luis Suárez to ‘oust him’.
The Manchester United player, Real Madrid star Federico Valverde and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur are now leading the ‘mutiny in Uruguay’ against the coach.
Manuel Ugarte, Sergio Rochet and the other two players had requested for a private chat with Bielsa. The quartet informed the Argentine that they didn’t like his methods and his tactical approach to face Spain.
These players complained to coach about the training intensity, which they believe leads to injuries. They also urged Bielsa to have a low block and a counter attacking approach against Spain.
Bielsa then called a team meeting and spoke for 48 minutes to explain what he feels is the best way to approach Spain.
Cope states: ‘He also criticised them for having tried to sack him on several occasions. He claimed that he had built the careers of players like Cáceres and Maxi Araújo. Finally, he acknowledged that he had taken injured players to the World Cup, but that their loyalty to him was the reason they were selected.’
What next for Manchester United midfielder
Uruguay risk elimination from the group stage of the World Cup. Irrespective of where they finish, Manuel Ugarte’s future at Old Trafford remains uncertain.
On May 26th, the 25-year-old said he’s unhappy with the restricted role last season and didn’t rule out a summer exit.
The South American has also insisted he’ll decide on his club future after the World Cup. That may come sooner than he’d hoped.
