'I'm not a model' - Leeds United legend Marcelo Bielsa angrily hits back at World Cup photo questions
A video of the former Leeds United boss went viral overnight as Uruguay drew 1-1 against Saudi Arabia.
Former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has hit back at questions over his official FIFA World Cup photo following Uruguay’s 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia.
Uruguay kicked off their tournament with a disappointing stalemate at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium overnight. The South American nation dominated proceedings but needed an 80th-minute Maximiliano Araujo goal to take a point following Abdulelah Al-Amri’s first-half opener.
But Bielsa inadvertently stole the headlines before kick-off with a video of his pre-match portrait, which usually includes players pretending to celebrate or playing up to the cameras in some way. In typical fashion of the ex-Leeds boss, however, he stared at the floor and did not move, with the clip going viral on social media.
Following Uruguay’s draw, Bielsa was asked about the video amid suggestions he acted in some form of protest. But the much-loved ex-Whites boss was far from happy with the attention.
"I don't have to give any explanation," Biesla said. "The picture was taken the way it was taken. I'm not a model. I have no answer for that. Should I also explain why I don't look at those who are speaking now [in the news conference]?
"There are no explanations for me to give. I believe there's a limit in terms of what we need to explain. If I look up or down, there are so many things to be explained?
"Some situations do not need to be explained. We have no obligation to behave as models. Those things have no foundation. I did nothing wrong."
Bielsa will have been left disappointed with the dropped points for Uruguay, which came after a chaotic 24 hours. The two-time World Cup winners saw their arrival into Florida from Cancun delayed due to paperwork issues, with FIFA forced to release a statement.
The statement read: "Due to an airline permitting error in Mexico, the Uruguay national team’s departure from Cancun to Miami was delayed. The airline has apologised for the inconvenience caused.
“FIFA remained in close contact with the Uruguay national team throughout their delay and worked alongside airport and operational partners to help expedite the process and minimise disruption to the team’s travel arrangements.”