Marcelo Bielsa Fury: Uruguay Boss Slams Copa America Organisers after Ugly Scenes
There’s been a lot of controversy and drama surrounding the Copa America, and this latest incident has left everyone stunned. Mariano Bielsa, Uruguay’s boss, has slammed the event’s organisers for allowing the ugly scenes that marred the semi-final match with Colombia.
The match ended in disappointment for Uruguay, who lost to Colombia 1-0. Daniel Munoz’s goal for Colombia proved to be the decider, and both teams had to play with 10 men. Uruguayan defender Guillermo Varela was sent off, while Colombia’s Daniel Munoz received a second yellow card.
But post-game, things took a terrible turn. There were reports of some physical altercations between both teams, with some sources claiming that Uruguayan fans and players clashed in the stands. The incident has left everyone furious, and Bielsa hasn’t held back in his criticism.
"[The players] reacted as any human being would have done," Bielsa said in his pre-match press conference ahead of the third-place play-off against Canada. "Do you ask if they are going to sanction those who went to defend? There’s a degree of complicity, because the questions [from journalists] also act in a complicit manner."
Bielsa emphasized that the players were reacting in response to a violent act, and rather than condoning the violence, he believes that the focus should be on ensuring that such incidents don’t occur in the future.
"When you see there’s a violent act, of course who is going to be in favor of a violent reaction, but the first thing you have to see is what the reaction is in response to," he added. "And if there would have been the possibility of doing it differently."
This wasn’t the first time that security concerns have marred an event in the Copa America this year. In June, a referee was attacked by a fan during an Argentina-Paraguay match.
The incident has been widely condemned, with many calling for greater security measures to be put in place to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
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Topics: Uruguay, Marcelo Bielsa, Copa America, Colombia