Maverick Bielsa faces Uruguay mutiny ahead of World Cup

Marcelo Bielsa is widely revered as a pioneer of coaching but his unconventional methods risk ruining Uruguay's World Cup chances before the tournament has even begun.

Nicknamed "El Loco" (mad man), Bielsa's bold attacking approach has proved an inspiration to a younger generation of coaches including Pep Guardiola and USA boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Yet, his famously demanding standards have often caused friction during a nomadic coaching career, and his stint in Uruguay has been no exception.

The Argentine's arrival initially generated huge excitement which was fuelled by landmark victories over Brazil and Argentina in qualifying.

But they needed that flying start just to make it through after winning just three of their final 12 qualifiers.

The tipping point for many in the squad came at the Copa America in 2024.

Uruguay finished a creditable third, eliminating Brazil along the way, but Bielsa's intensity during the month-long tournament did not endear him to his players.

Luis Suarez hit out at Bielsa’s methods after retiring from international football months later, claiming he had reduced former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez to tears at half-time of a 2-0 win over Argentina such was the force of his criticism.

Bielsa accepted that after the former Barcelona striker's backlash his "authority was affected" with the rest of the dressing room.

Results have also regressed, with Bielsa stating he was "ashamed" by a 5-1 friendly defeat to the USA in November.

Now as his third World Cup with a third different nation approaches, the question is whether Bielsa can win back the faith of his players for a country so used to punching above its weight on the world stage.

And there are doubts as to how his high-energy style will fare in the gruelling conditions of Miami and Guadalajara, where Uruguay will face Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde and Spain in Group F.

- 'He's a genius' -

Bielsa made his name winning three league titles in Argentina with Newell's Old Boys, where the stadium now bears his name, and Velez Sarsfield.

"For me, he's a person I will always admire," said Pochettino, whom Bielsa recruited for Newell's as a 13-year-old.

"He's a genius. A person with charisma and a personality very different from us normal coaches, and that's what makes him special."

Bielsa's sides in Bilbao with Athletic Club, where he reached the Europa League and Copa del Rey finals in 2011/12, and Marseille, where he led Ligue 1 at the halfway stage in 2014/15, were also admired but ended up empty-handed as their energy ran out.

In Leeds murals still bear Bielsa's face, four years on from his departure, after he led a sleeping giant of English football back to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years in 2020.

His time there ended in familiar fashion with an exhausted squad that was relegated back to the second tier the season after he departed.

Yet, the esteem with which he is held for his daring tactical approach endures.

"To be loved is this biggest title, bigger than the Champions League or Premier League or whatever", said Guardiola, who went to visit Bielsa in Argentina before setting out as a coach at Barcelona.

"To be loved is the most important thing and I think Marcelo has that more than any other manager in the world."