Speaking after the defeat, Bielsa gave a frank assessment of his work with the national team, insisting the lack of success at the World Cup had rendered everything else meaningless. He also accepted responsibility for Uruguay’s disappointing results in the tournament.
“I will leave nothing to Uruguayan football,” Bielsa told beIN Sports. “Any contribution from a coach who’s been working for three years is meaningless if you don’t get results: fourth place in the qualifiers (in the South American zone) was worthless, third place at the Copa America was worthless, and obviously, I don’t need to comment on that performance.
“The questions do not seek answers, but to pour out on me, who is responsible, all the disappointment of the elimination. For this World Cup, we played to obtain seven points and we obtained two, despite a group of quality players. In spite of the work, the effort and the dedication, I did not succeed.”
