The former Leeds manager didn’t hold back.
Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa has said that the commercial side of football will cause it to become less attractive in the coming years.
Uruguay face Brazil in a crucial quarter-final clash in the Copa America on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Under Bielsa, Uruguay have been playing some of the best football in the tournament, winning all of their group stage matches to top Group C.
But, the former Leeds United manager is concerned that the type of football his team’s play is becoming much more rare for one specific reason.
He fears that, as football becomes more commercialised and money begins to rule the sport, less attractive football will be deployed.
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Speaking in a CONMEBOL press conference, Bielsa said: “Football has more and more spectators but is becoming less and less attractive.
“What made this game the best game in the world at the time, is not prioritised today.
“If you don’t ensure that what people watch is something pleasant, it will only benefit the business. Because the business only cares about how many people watch it.”
Bielsa further explained his worries, saying that as football becomes easier to access via online clips and highlights, it is losing its true identity.
He added: “Football is not just the five minutes of highlights. Football is much more than that, it is a cultural expression, it is a way of identification.”
With the likes of Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez, Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde and Manchester United youngster Facundo Pellestri, Uruguay have been electric at the 2024 Copa America.
In their last match, they brushed past hosts USA with a 1-0 win that booked their place in the quarter-finals.
Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez has scored two goals for Uruguay at Copa America 2024. (Image: Getty)
But this weekend’s fixture will their hardest challenge yet, as they face tournament second favourites Brazil.
Brazil have struggled so far at the Copa America, as they drew two of their group stage matches to finish second behind Colombia.
However, with some of the past players in the world, including Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli, besting the Brazilian national team will be a tough task for Bielsa and his team.
Uruguay v Brazil kicks off at 2am BST on Sunday morning.
Shock new name emerges as leading contender to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager after Euro 2024 (an)
Gareth Southgate’s replacement may have been decided.
The 2024 European Championships may be Gareth Southgate’s final tournament as England manager, and the FA may have already picked his replacement.
The knockout stages of Euro 2024 are set to get underway this weekend as 16 of the best teams on the continent will face off to secure their place in the quarter-finals.
After Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with Slovenia, England finished on top of Group C with a total of five points.
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With the final matches of the group stage still to be played, England will have to wait until Wednesday evening to discover who they will face on Sunday in the round of 16.
But, despite securing his side’s place in the knockouts, Gareth Southgate has received significant backlash from England fans, with some suggesting that he should be sacked before this weekend’s fixture.
And recent reports suggest that, should Southgate depart as England manager, his replacement will be likely be Lee Carsley.
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According to HITC, the current England Under-21 coach is favourite to succeed Southgate, who himself came from the U21 coaching role, with the FA favouring an idea of succession rather than appointing someone from outside the current system.
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Carsley has been with the FA for nearly a decade and led the Young Lions to glory last summer as England defeated Spain 1-0 in the European Under-21 Championship final.
The 50-year-old is well thought of across Europe and has already turned down several jobs in international management, including from the Republic of Ireland.
Lee Carsley led the England U21s to victory in the 2023 European Under-21 Championship, beating Spain in the final 1-0. (Image: Getty)
Ahead of the tournament, reports suggested that the FA were satisfied with Southgate’s performances as manager and were set to offer him a new contract to lead England for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
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But, the 53-year-old has suggested that, should he fail to end England’s 58 year wait for a trophy this summer, he will step down as manager of the Three Lions.
Speaking to German newspaper BILD, Southgate said: “If we don’t win, I probably won’t be here anymore. So maybe it is the last chance.
“I think around half the national coaches leave after a tournament – that’s the nature of international football. I’ve been here almost eight years now and we’ve come close.
“You can’t constantly put yourself in front of the public and say, ‘A little more please’ as at some point people lose faith. If we want to be a great team and I want to be a top coach, you must deliver in big moments.”
Why Jude Bellingham is playing with NFL shoulder pads for England at Euro 2024 (an)
The reason behind Bellingham wearing the strange accessory has been revealed.
Jude Bellingham has been spotted wearing shoulder pads during England’s Euro 2024 matches.
The round of 16 of the 2024 European Championships finish on Tuesday night, as Romania face The Netherlands and Austria play Turkey in the final matches of the first knockout stage.
England survived an early scare in their knockout match with Slovakia, as Jude Bellingham scored an injury time equaliser, allowing Harry Kane to seal England’s 2-1 victory in extra time.
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Bellingham has been a key part of England’s success so far this tournament and some fans have noticed something unusual about the England star.
The 21-year-old appears to be wearing shoulder pads when he is playing, but what are they?
Footytruths detailed that the high-quality shoulder padding, which comes from the American National Football League (NFL), has been worn by Bellingham throughout the Euros campaign.
In training, his teammates have also been told not to touch Bellingham’s shoulder as an extra precaution.
These safety measures have been put in place to prevent Bellingham from having to receive surgery on his left shoulder, which was dislocated during Real Madrid’s 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano in November.
While surgery after the Euros may still be necessary, losing Bellingham mid-tournament would be a major blow for England, after the midfielder has scored half of the team’s goals.
However, Real Madrid will likely not be happy with Bellingham’s decision to delay surgery, as it could impact his availability at the start of the La Liga season which gets underway in mid-August.
Jude Bellingham was seen wearing shoulder padding after England’s 0-0 draw with Slovenia in the Euro 2024 group stage. (Image: Getty)
Madrid are already likely to be without star signing Kylian Mbappe for the start of the domestic season and so losing their other key player could cause problems for the Spanish champions.
Mbappe will also be undergoing surgery following the end of the European Championships, after the striker broke his nose in France’s opening fixture against Austria.
England will face Switzerland in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf on Saturday at 5pm BST.
Meanwhile France will play Portugal at the Volkparkstadion, Hamburg with the winners set to face one of Spain or Germany in the semi-finals.
