Marcelo Bielsa, the Argentine coach of Uruguay’s national team, slammed FIFA over the hydration breaks introduced for the ongoing 2026 World Cup. The 70-year-old manager crossed swords with the governing body headed by Swiss Gianni Infantino, arguing that the two three-minute stoppages in each half distort the essence of football and the normal flow of matches.
The former Argentina boss and Newell’s idol fired heavy ammunition in a press conference in Miami, ahead of facing Cape Verde in the second round of Group H. In their debut, ‘La Celeste’ earned a point that tasted like little after drawing 1-1 with Saudi Arabia. The third matchday will see them take on none other than Spain, one of the top title contenders.
Asked about this hotly debated topic, ‘El Loco’ replied: ‘Playing four periods instead of two alters the conception that had been culturally built to interpret football. It adds nothing and takes away a lot.’ He even emphasized: ‘When it was split into four, they didn’t think about the effect it could have on what made football a sport that people fall in love with; instead, they thought about other kinds of repercussions that I neither discuss nor analyze.’ He also stressed that ‘before this decision, football had one characteristic and now it has another. People fall in love with the game because of its characteristics.’
The day before the clash with the Africans, who surprised on debut by drawing 0-0 with favorites Spain, the ‘Celeste’ coach reviewed his own 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia: ‘What happened in the second half was totally different… What the team did in the second half they could have done in the first as well.’ He even described his team’s first 45 minutes in the opener as ‘sluggish.’
Furthermore, the Argentine coach once again defended the choice of Playa del Carmen as the team’s training base, despite it involving a trip from Mexico to the United States for the first two matches: ‘We couldn’t imagine a better place, not only because of the facilities but because of the availability of everyone who works there. It’s a very generous site for our needs.’ The match against Cape Verde will be at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, where a crowd of Uruguayans is expected in the stands.
The match is played today, Sunday, June 21, at 7:00 PM Argentina time, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The game can be watched on the following TV channels.
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para mi la fifa es una mierda siempre cagando el futbol con sus parates ridiculos bielsa tiene razon el futbol es sudor y locura no un circo con gateras dejen de pensar en la plata y respeten la esencia gorilas vamo arriba el loco carajo
Para mí este Bielsa es un zurdo de mierda que se cree superior a la FIFA. Las pausas de hidratación son sentido común, no política. El Loco tendría que dejar de llorar y ganar algo, no joder el fútbol de verdad. Viva el fútbol sin ideología.