Luis Suarez Challenges a Leeds United Legend on Respect Issues
While Luis Suarez expressed his objection to the current Uruguay national team’s head coach, Marcelo Bielsa, who was also his coach at Leeds United, and raised the matter of respect towards players, Bielsa has been hailed for the revival of Leeds and bringing them back to the Premier League. However, the comments of Suarez tend to allude that his experience is quite different.
“In the Copa América there were situations that hurt me, which I did not say for the sake of coexistence.”
He voiced his displeasure in the tenor of treatment meted out to national team’s captain Agustin Cannobio by Bielsa calling it ‘complete disregard’. He also disclosed that players even went to the extent of holding a meeting to ask for basic hellos from Bielsa who used to look straight through them. Furthermore, he mentioned that players were not allowed to speak to any other parties not involved in the match including the non-playing staff at the Celeste Complex which was alienating.
“I support Canobbio for what happened. On many days he made him do exercises with the players who were sparring and that is a complete lack of respect.”
“Many players held a meeting to ask the coach to at least say good morning to us, but he didn’t even say hello.”
On the contrary, it is important to point out that relative to most national teams, Under Bielsa’s watch, which is the period from his appointment, the team has lost only three times. Such tension brings forward the ambiguity of attributes associated with coaches like Bielsa who bring in results but leaves most players with an uncomfortable disposition. Tracey supports the notion that there exists a constant battle in football, ever perplexing, between control and courtesy.
