Marcelo Bielsa and Uruguay flattered to deceive after they crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage following a 1-0 defeat against Spain on Saturday night.
It was a bruising campaign for a Uruguay squad who were expected to reach at least the knockout stage of the World Cup under the former Leeds boss this summer.
There was a disconnect between the squad and Bielsa towards the end, and several former players have taken aim at the ex-Leeds boss and questioned his managerial credentials.
He announced ahead of the World Cup that he would be leaving after the tournament, and the Uruguay squad got a piece of his mind and how he felt before he exited.
Marcelo Bielsa felt let down by the ‘leaders’
Uruguay were one of the first teams to qualify for the World Cup as they breezed through the qualifying rounds under Bielsa and looked good to do well in the summer.
They beat Argentina and Brazil away from home, and everything looked positive until the last few months, when everything threatened to fall apart.
A rift developed between Bielsa and the squad, and there were suggestions that he could be sacked towards the end of last year and even a few before the World Cup.
They managed to hold things together until the World Cup, but the results made it clear the problems behind the scenes ran much deeper.
Bielsa spoke with the Uruguay squad before they departed the United States, and according to local journalist Sebas Giovanelli, some tough words were spoken.
The former Leeds United boss made it clear he felt deeply let down by the squad, claiming the team’s senior players had abandoned him.
“They left me alone”, he said.
The World Cup failure has not diminished his standing with Leeds fans
Marcelo Bielsa will remain a cult figure at Leeds no matter what he does anywhere, given what he achieved at Elland Road and the smiles he brought back.
Leeds fans would have loved to see Bielsa go deep in the World Cup with the Uruguay squad, but his early exit will do nothing to his standing at the West Yorkshire club.
In the aftermath of Uruguay’s exit, the Whites supporters have thrown their weight behind Bielsa on social media, placing the blame on the players for not fully embracing his approach.
Leeds and their fans are aware of how special Bielsa’s football can be when the players and everyone at an organisation buy into his philosophy and style.
He is a Leeds legend, and who knows he could come back one day, whatever happens with Marcelo, us Leeds fans will forever cherish what he did for us when all those previous Leeds managers had failed, he delivered and did it is style.