The president of the AUF and how Bielsa arrived in Uruguay: “He is convinced he is in the right place”

“There is a generational change in the selection of Uruguay and we understood that he had to have a leader who was up to the task”, Ignatius Alonsothe president of the Uruguayan Football Federationspare no words for explain and clarify What were the reasons that led you to propose yourself Marcello Bielsa the position of coach of his country’s team, La Celeste.

As if he needed it, as if the long journey of the Argentine coach in the Argentine and Chilean national teams was not necessary. Nor the worldwide recognition he has gained for his work at Athletic Bilbao, Olympique de Marseille and Leeds United, among other European clubs he has led. Nor the prestige he had already earned in South America as a driver for Newell’s and Vélez. No. Alonso has yet to give reasons.

They ask him whether he has chosen a Uruguayan coach. But while some technicians were born on the other side of the Río de La Plata they slip their nationalism suspiciouslyOn the other hand, they also understand that Uruguay has hired a world-class technical director, a coach superior.

in dialogue with clarionin Montevideo, and after receiving Bielsa at the Complejo Celeste and in full organization of this Wednesday’s press conference at the Centenario Stadium, where the Rosary will be officially presented, Alonso explains: “Uruguay has necessarily opened up, It’s a small country and you need to have an open mind have contacts with the best in the world”.

Ignacio Alonso Labat He is an economist and agricultural producer.. He is 44 years old and became president of the Auf in 2019. He assures that there is no controversy because “that simple criterion is applied, a small, open country, with compulsory integration and a compulsory international, internationalist vocation. In all aspects. Even in this, and it seems to me that the Uruguayan coaches are up to the task. Any Uruguayan coach has been up to the task.” But Alonso leaned towards Bielsa.

The top executive of the AUF confirmed to Clarín that “there is a mutual agreement” for Bielsa to also deal with the under-23 team that will try to qualify for the Olympic Games and – if he succeeds – El Loco will aim for his second gold medal (he won one with Argentina in 2004). He also stated that “Bielsa will live in Montevideo (NdR: it would be in the Parque Miramar, near the Complex), but due to his activity he will be out of the country for a long time”. The man from Rosario has scheduled a tour to meet the Uruguayan players.

Alonso underlines the bond that unites Uruguayan football with the Argentine first (he says he celebrated the Scudetto in Qatar “because of Messi and because there was a great desire to beat the European Championships”), secondly with the man coming from Santa Fe and in third with Rosario, specifically. And that Bielsa’s adaptation to Uruguayan culture will be very simple: “I know he has great respect for our people.”

“At least with us, he had an absolutely different treatment, which was always a gentleman and which showed us his human qualities. He is convinced he is in the right place and for us he is the right coach.” concludes Alonso, who has just closed the most important contract for South American football clubs in the last decade.

From Montevideo, special envoys