News Focus
- Marcelo Bielsa stands motionless with eyes to the ground during mandatory FIFA media duties in Cancún
- The 70-year-old manager rejects questions about his stiff pose following Uruguay’s 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia
- Bielsa claims there are limits to what he must justify, comparing the incident to wearing glasses
- The viral image adds to the eccentric reputation he built during his spell at Leeds United
Marcelo Bielsa has lived up to his nickname “El Loco” during the 2026 World Cup preparations. The Uruguay head coach caused a stir by refusing to participate properly in an official portrait session.
Getty photographers Michael Regan and Molly Darlington were shooting the Uruguay squad in Cancún, Mexico, on 10 June. While the players provided emotional poses, Bielsa remained statuesque. The 70-year-old Argentine stared at the floor and kept his hands firmly in his pockets.
The resulting image has become one of the tournament’s first viral moments. It shows the manager looking rigid and uncooperative during the obligatory media duty.
Reporters questioned Bielsa about the incident after Uruguay secured a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia on Monday. The coach hit back immediately. “I am not a model,” he stated. He insisted he owes no explanations for his actions.
“The picture was taken the way it was taken,” Bielsa said. He asked journalists whether he should also explain why he sometimes avoids eye contact during conversations.
The rant continued even when the topic changed. Bielsa spoke about personal boundaries. “If I am wearing glasses, why am I wearing glasses?” he demanded. “You look somebody in the eye, why do you do that?” He stressed that looking down is not a crime.
This behaviour fits Bielsa’s well-known character. Football fans remember his eccentric methods from his time as Leeds United manager. He famously sat on a plastic bucket on the touchline to ease chronic back pain. He also personally paid a £200,000 fine after the club was punished for spying on Championship rivals.