Marcelo Bielsa has agreed to become the coach of Uruguay’s national team, according to an executive of the country’s soccer association. Jorge Casales, a member of the executive committee of the Uruguayan soccer association, stated that the former Leeds United manager will sign a contract for 39 months, through the 2026 World Cup. Bielsa is expected to be in Montevideo within days to sign the contract.
Bielsa’s First Matches and South American World Cup Qualifying
Bielsa’s first matches on the job are set to be in June, when Uruguay is scheduled to play friendlies against Nicaragua and Cuba. South American World Cup qualifying is set to begin in September. Uruguay was knocked out in the group stage of the World Cup in Qatar.
Bringing in a Legacy
“We are bringing in someone who we know will leave us with a legacy that goes beyond the 90 minutes of a match,” said Casales of Bielsa’s appointment as coach of Uruguay’s national team.
Bielsa’s Career and Negotiations
Bielsa coached Argentina from 1998 to 2004, seeing his team eliminated at the group stage of the 2002 World Cup and then winning the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He left the job for personal reasons. Bielsa also coached Chile between 2007 and 2011, as well as having spells at Espanol, Athletic Bilbao, Marseille, and Lille. He has been out of a job since February 2022 when he was fired by Leeds. According to Casales, the negotiations with Bielsa took three months.
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