Cáceres Furious Over Deliberate Distortion of Bielsa Rumors: Someone Wants to Destroy Him

Uruguay defensive stalwart Sebastián Cáceres has publicly spoken out, stating that the rumors surrounding head coach Marcelo Bielsa following the team's group-stage exit at the World Cup have been maliciously distorted, with the clear aim of tarnishing the renowned manager's reputation.

“I won’t reveal what Bielsa said to us in his farewell; those words should stay in the locker room forever, just as they did initially,” Cáceres told foreign media upon returning to Uruguay late Sunday night. “I have immense respect and gratitude for Marcelo.”

“Some may have different opinions, but I think the vast majority know the truth. Of course, I won’t repeat what was said then, but I can say that some of the reported content simply doesn’t match the facts. All the public information has been twisted. I feel these details have been heavily manipulated, perhaps to discredit Marcelo.”

“This approach is highly inappropriate and certainly not the right thing to do.”

Prior to this, Inter Miami forward Luis Suárez was the first to criticize Bielsa’s coaching environment in 2024, accusing the manager of creating division within the squad.

“If something goes wrong tomorrow, I beg people not to blame the players. Bielsa even split the team through his training methods,” Suárez said at the time.

Following Suárez’s interview, various speculations about Uruguay’s internal atmosphere began to spread.

Before these issues resurfaced at the World Cup, Bielsa had led the team to qualification in fourth place in the CONMEBOL qualifiers—just one point behind second-placed Colombia.

Foreign media reported that during the World Cup, players asked Bielsa to adjust his tactics, and tensions between the coach and star Federico Valverde were evident in the loss to Spain.

The team’s group-stage campaign ended after draws with Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia, followed by a defeat to Spain in the final match, confirming their elimination.

Bielsa, who is expected to leave upon the expiration of his contract as planned, insisted Uruguay should have achieved better results, before taking full responsibility.

“If you want an explanation—though I doubt it’s the one you’re looking for—I can tell you this: we should have had seven points but ended up with two,” Bielsa said after the match.

“Journalists, Uruguay fans, you all want me to take responsibility for what happened, and I must accept that blame. It’s the only right thing to do. My contribution to Uruguayan football has been minimal, because without positive results, anything a coach does over three years with the national team is meaningless.”

Bielsa took charge of Uruguay in 2023, leading the team through the Copa América, CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, and the 2026 World Cup.