Ex-Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa handed major blow after Uruguay legend makes major announcement
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Ex-Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has been handed a major blow in his role as Uruguay boss after former Barcelona and Liverpool star Luis Suarez announced his retirement from international football.
Suarez revealed his decision in a tearful press conference at Montevideo’s Centenario Stadium ahead of Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Paraguay. The fixture will be his final game after he was included in Bielsa’s squad for the latest round of qualifying matches.
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Hide Ad“I leave with the peace of mind that I gave everything for the national team until Friday. I have no regrets,” Suarez said. “There is no better pride in oneself than knowing when the right moment to retire is and luckily I am confident that I am retiring from the national team because I want to take a step aside.”
He continued: “I am 37 years old and I know that it is very difficult to get to the next World Cup. It comforts me a lot that I can retire and not for my injuries to retire me, or to stop being called up. It is very helpful to want to take that step aside and feel ready. It is difficult because the decision was not easy. But I go with the peace of mind that until the last game I gave my all, and that the flame did not burn out slowly and that is why I made the decision that it should be now.”
Suarez has been capped a staggering 142 times by Uruguay, with 69 goals at international level. He has scored 491 goals in 795 appearances at club level, while also providing 259 assists with his most successful spell coming in La Liga with Barca. Bielsa was appointed by Uruguay in May 2023 with the goal of achieving qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, USA and Mexico. He reached the Copa America semi-final with La Celeste during the summer, as they were knocked out of the last four by Colombia.
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Hide AdThey have enjoyed a stunning start to their World Cup qualification campaign with 13 points from their first six games, with only Argentina ahead of them in the South American qualifying standings. Last autumn they claimed big wins over Brazil and Argentina to give their hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup a huge boost. Bielsa will also be without Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez for the next five Uruguay matches, after the forward was handed a five-game international ban after an altercation with Colombia fans following the Copa America semi-final in July.
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