Marcelo Bielsa has responded to the viral FIFA photoshoot in which he avoided looking at the camera, stating that he is “not a model.”
The 70-year-old head coach of Uruguay was seen staring at the ground during his pre-World Cup media obligations, with the clip gaining traction on social media.
Following his team’s 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia in Miami, Bielsa was asked about his unconventional photoshoot, to which he replied that he doesn’t feel the need to justify his behavior.
“I don’t need to explain anything,” Bielsa said. “The photo was taken as it was. I’m not a model and I have no answer to provide. Should I also clarify why I don’t look at those speaking at this news conference?”
“There are no explanations needed from my side.”
Bielsa briefly changed the subject but eventually returned to discuss the photoshoot on his own accord.
“I think there’s a limit to what requires explaining,” he noted. “If I look up or down, does that need an explanation too?”
“Some things simply don’t need clarification. We are not required to act like models; those expectations are unfounded. I did nothing wrong.”
Bielsa expressed dissatisfaction with Uruguay’s performance against Saudi Arabia, stating that his team only utilized “half the time” to attempt to win the match.
Despite taking 27 shots with 10 on target, Uruguay struggled in the first half and trailed 1-0 at halftime.
They controlled the game in the second half but had to wait until the 80th minute for Maxi Araújo to equalize.
“The fact that we didn’t win relates to not being able to show our best form,” Bielsa remarked. “We should have played in the first half as we did in the second, but we only managed to do it for part of the time.”
“The game shifted in the second half, creating more opportunities, allowing players to move, run off the ball, and generate chances.”
“It’s part of what occurs in matches—sometimes you score with few chances, and other times you can’t convert with many.”
This result, combined with Spain‘s surprising 0-0 draw against Cape Verde earlier on Monday, left all four teams in Group H tied with a single point each.