Marcelo Bielsa rages at organisers following fracas involving Liverpool star Darwin Nunez
Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa has left no stone unturned in an impassioned defence of his players including Liverpool star Darwin Nunez following the aftermath of their Copa America 2024 semifinal loss to Colombia in the semi-final.
The Liverpool star was among those at the forefront as Uguauayn players clashed with Colombian fans in the stands. A visibly shaken Nunez was seen comforting his on the field after the events transpired.
Speaking ahead of the third placed clash against Canada, Bielsa addressed the issues and did not hold back. According to The Liverpool Echo, he has labelled the accusations as nothing short of a witch hunt. He empathaised with his players who were victims of the circumstances rather than instigators.
“The only thing I can say is that the players reacted as any human being would have done. If they are attacking his wife, his mother, a baby, his wife, his sister… What do you do?”
Bielsa went on to add that those guilty should be the ones to face the music. He certainly has a poitn given the scenes we witnessed on the day. Tensions certainly run high but football players do not behave to such a degree unless massively provoked.
“The sanction does not have to be for the footballers, but for those who forced them to act like this. This is a witch hunt. It is a shame.”
The Uruguayan boss was in no mood to take prisoners as he ripped into not just the organisers but also the media for their sensationalist coverage of the matter. It is fair to say that Bielsa ceetainly is in no mood to pull any punches.
“There is a portion of journalism that is bought. As I am not stupid, I said that I do not know in what proportion, but I do know that there is a percentage that does not say what it should say.”
The Uruguayan FA also made their feelings clear on the topic and defended their players. While then organization does condemn violence, they are keen to address the core of the issue that led to the incident. After all, Uruguay have been in the United DStates for close to a month and no unsavoury incidents took place until the semifinal.
Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni also backed Bielsa’s slaims that the necessary arrangements were patchy at best. It is fair to say that the tournament has left a sour taste in the mouth of some of South America’s biggest sides.
With the next FIFA World Cup set to take place in the USA, we hope the organisers and others involved take due note of the concerns and address them. There has been a clear breakdown of security procedures and CONMEBOL will do well to address the issues than shoot the messenger.
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Darwin Nunez did what he had to do to protect his family and it is fair to say that many of us in a similar situation would have acted in the same manner. Equating what he did to Luis Suarez’s antics are rather amateur since the latter’s actions were premeditated and not provoked.
The Liverpool star might have to serve a suspension given the nature of football bodies to shoot the messenger. But there will be few on Merseyside who will not understand why Nunez did what he did.
