Former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has endured a tough couple of days as Uruguay boss.
La Celeste have already qualified for next year’s World Cup under the guidance of the 70-year-old, so everything appears calm on the surface, but he has been facing intense pressure to resign.
True to his impassioned and unpredictable style, Bielsa called an impromptu press conference, speaking to journalists in Montevideo for an hour and 45 minutes.
Marcelo Bielsa holds extraordinary press conference amid mounting Uruguay pressure
Questions regarding his future intensified this week, as the side suffered a 5-1 loss to the United States.
It was the side’s first defeat in their last seven games, a run that has involved draws with Mexico and Chile, plus narrow wins over the likes of Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan.
"I AM TOXIC"Another extraordinary soundbite from Marcelo Bielsa. A self-reflection on his character and his obsessiveness as a coach which he says is rooted in fear. pic.twitter.com/dUBQIj7zU3November 21, 2025
In calling a press conference, speculation mounted that the former Leeds man’s time was up, leading to fans of the Yorkshire side – currently 16th in the league with one win in five – calling for his return to Elland Road on social media.
“I have the desire to keep going,” Bielsa told a baying Uruguayan media, as quoted by The Athletic. “If I ever thought about resigning, it wasn’t at this moment.
Complaints have been made by fans and journalists for Bielsa’s secretive way of approaching his World Cup preparations and, apparently, by players who have grown weary of the manager’s methods. One pundit even tabled the suggestion of asking Donald Trump to deny Bielsa a visa for next summer’s tournament.
“I’m toxic,” Bielsa said. “To associate yourself with me makes you worse off. Do you understand me? There are toxic types who only see the errors that they are correcting, who are demanding, who are never satisfied with anything.
“Evidently, humanly, I still haven’t achieved an acceptance from this group that I lead.”
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, while you rarely find us pleading with figures in football to stop speaking, you do have to wonder whether a press conference stretching longer than an actual game will move the dial of opinion in Bielsa’s favour.
He confirmed that in meetings with Uruguayan officials, he was asked to continue in his job until next summer, but if the atmosphere doesn’t improve around the team, it will be a fraught entry to the competition.
Bielsa has never been known for his cool head, however. And at 70, he is unlikely to change, so expect fireworks between now and the summer.
No matter what happens, though, he’ll always have staunch admirers at Elland Road.
