Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa kindly declines to take part in the photoshoot before the World Cup opener.
Marcelo Bielsa recently shared that he’s “not a model” after he didn’t look at the camera in a promotional video shown on TV before Uruguay’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia. The 70-year-old coach, who is known for speaking his mind, was seen looking down at the floor instead of into the camera during an official World Cup photoshoot.
As Uruguay prepared for their Monday game in Miami, Bielsa’s choice to avoid the camera caught a lot of attention online, with people wondering why he didn’t follow the usual media routines.
Uruguay started their Group H games with a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia, thanks to a late goal from Maxi Araujo. After the game, Bielsa was asked why he looked down in the video. He replied, “I don’t have to explain. The picture was taken as it was. I’m not a model. Should I also explain why I don’t look at people talking now?” He made it clear that he felt no need to justify his actions.
Bielsa has often criticized the World Cup being held in the U.S., pointing out its commercial and political sides. When asked more questions at the press conference, he repeated that not everything needs an explanation. “If I look up or down, does that need an explanation? We’re not here to act like models. I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said.
Uruguay’s performance in the match wasn’t their best. Though they had moments of control, they were down 1-0 at half-time after Abdulelah Al-Amri scored for Saudi Arabia. Bielsa explained, “We lost because we couldn’t show our best game. In the first half, we didn’t play as well as we did in the second half. The team improved after the break, with more movement and chances.”
He added, “That’s the way games go sometimes. Sometimes you score with few chances, and sometimes, even with many chances, you don’t.”