Marcelo Bielsa, TD of Uruguay: between illusions and doubts, how Loco’s arrival at La Celeste is experienced in Montevideo

That Marcello Bielsa it’s “crazy” you know. That his return to South American football will allow him to make a qualitative leap in international competitions is a statement verifiable by the performance of his team and also by the interest aroused by the coach from a discursive point of view. In Montevideothe arrival of the Argentine coach was lived with moderate enthusiasm, which is no small thing.

Bielsa has arrived at Uruguay and the spotlights of the sports press are focused on their movements. Disembarked in Carrasco on Sunday, he did not warn the leaders of the Uruguayan Football Federationand traveled on a public bus to meet her new employers. “Hi, I’m Marcelo Bielsa”appeared on the door of the Complejo Celeste, the home of the Uruguayan soccer team.

On Monday he visited the AUF property (in Canelones, the Ezeiza of them) accompanied by Ignatius Alonsopresident of the Association, e George Jordan (former coach, current AUF national coach). He was seen energetic, wearing a gray short-sleeved T-shirt under a vest. Sports and jogging shoes, a classic by the coach born 67 years ago (it will be one more on July 21st) in Rosario, province of Santa Fe.

In a sneaky video of Bielsa’s tour of the Celestial Complex, he can be seen giving instructions to the two top leaders of the Uruguayan Association. He points, looks, speaks with gestures; he takes one of those inflatable dolls that basically act as rival cones and shakes it: he runs out of breath and leaves it on the grass. He seems grumpy, but everyone agrees that he walked away satisfied. The property is luxury and lives up to El Loco’s expectations.

This Tuesday he returned to watch the Uruguayan Under-20 friendly led by Marcelo Broli. It was a 2-2 draw against Defensor Sporting and the last test before the World Cup to be held in Argentina. “Marcelo has decided to lead the Under 23 team,” he confirmed to Nacho Alonso clarion (see separate). If he can qualify, Bielsa will lead Uruguay in the Paris 2024 Olympic Gamesbefore he will do it in the pre-Olympic of Venezuela.

The expectation is huge. And also the challenge. Uruguay comes from being eliminated in the first round of Qatar World Cup. After Maestro Tabárez’s trial, it was Diego Alonso who guided Celeste to the World Cup. But the results did not coincide and the victory in the last round against Ghana was insufficient and scandalous due to the protests of the players dressed in blue against the German referee Daniel Siebert, because they believed that he should charge a penalty in a play in which Edinson Cavani landed on the area. One more goal would have given Uruguay a ticket to the round of 16.

But Bielsa will also have to command the generational change which prevails in the Uruguayan team. This Wednesday, when he will be officially presented at the Stadio del Centenario, the coach will clarify the prospects. But in the Uruguayan press it is estimated that Diego Godín, Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani -among others- will gradually make room for Facundo Torres, Manuel Ugarte and Darwin Núñez, among others.

The Fool arrives with his usual working group What will the Chilean have? Diego Reyes as first assistant, Pablo Quiroga AND Luca Oubina (second and third); and from Spain will have the support of Diego Bermudez. It will also have on Uruguayan soil magal count for logistics; and when the team goes abroad, the Spanish team will be in charge of this task Sarah Bouza.

Beyond what expressed by Uruguayan coaches such as Jorge Fosatti or Martín Lasarte, who would have preferred a local coach at the helm of the team (Bielsa will be the second foreigner in history after Daniel Passarella, who commanded La Celeste between 1999 and 2001) , on the streets of Montevideo the arrival of the Rosary arouses anticipation, but they still look askance at him. “As long as it’s for the good of our team, I’ll support it,” says Andrea, an employee of a restaurant in the Mercado del Puerto.

There is Husband, who claims to have seen Bielsa play in Buenos Aires: “He was very impressed”, he limits himself to describing the 76-year-old man who is waiting for a few dirty boots or shoes to be able to polish shoes in a profession that no longer abounds. But -as is known- Montevideo seems to live encapsulated in time. Bielsa’s football in the Uruguayan team is what he needs -they believe- to revitalize the hierarchy on the continent and in the world: his eyes are on the World Cup 2026, when Marcelo Bielsa accuses 71 almanacs. This Wednesday his cycle will begin and it will be necessary to see if he can translate his idea of ​​him, if Bielsa and the Uruguayans speak the same language or if he will need a translator like in France or England to line up loot and champions.

From Montevideo, special envoy