Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa criticizes Copa América organizers after fight: ‘Plague of liars’

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa attacked the “plague of liars” running the 2024 Copa América this Friday, two days after his team’s semi-final against Colombia ended with a fight in the stands involving players and fans.

In an extraordinary and fiery press conference, Bielsa criticized the lack of security provided to Uruguayan families; he argued that his players were “obliged” to climb into the crowd to protect their loved ones; and said post-fight punishments should not be for the players, “but rather for those who forced them to act as they did” – tournament organizers.

And Bielsa didn’t stop there. He destroyed the irregular and temporary pitches planned for this Copa América, which is being held in 14 stadiums in the United States.

He also said that “the training camps were a disaster.”

He suggested that Bolivia was unable to train because a pitch was so bad.

He said Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni, who criticized the quality of the pitch at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on opening night, was “threatened” and told not to speak again. (In several press conferences since then, Scaloni has refused to discuss the state of the camps when asked.)

Bielsa noted that US authorities, like those responsible for the stadiums, bear “responsibility” for some of this, but “they did not lie,” Bielsa said.

Instead, he directed most of his criticism at CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation primarily responsible for (and mostly profiting from) the tournament. “They say the pitches are perfect and – all those lies they told!” Bielsa vented, gesturing furiously.

At one point he stopped himself and acknowledged, “I’m saying everything I promised I wouldn’t say.” But he couldn’t stop himself.

A reporter asked him if he feared that his players who fought with fans would be punished for their roles in the melee. “The players reacted as any other human being would,” replied Bielsa as he became furious. He said their families had no escape route. You do?”

“What should you be asking me,” he continued, “if you had [an ounce] of sympathy, is whether the players received an apology from those who are responsible for looking after each spectator.”

He later said, “This whole thing is a witch hunt.”

He then used the platform and his unleashed anger to destroy other aspects of the tournament. He accused CONMEBOL – which opened an investigation into Wednesday’s post-match brawl – of treating prestigious teams like Brazil and “lower class” teams differently.

He said the organization of the tournament in general was “not professional.”

“This whole thing is a shame,” he said at one point in the middle of the speech. “A shame.”