Former Uruguay captain Diego Lugano has blamed coach Marcelo Bielsa for Uruguay's early World Cup exit.
"Bielsa poisoned the atmosphere, he never understood where he was and the players never understood Bielsa," the retired Lugano said, according to media reports.
"The players gave everything, but they did not have a coach who would have guided them on the right path."
The team led by captain and Real Madrid star Federico Valverde failed to win any of their three matches and finished on two points in the group. In their final group match, the twice world champions lost 1-0 to European champions Spain near Guadalajara.
Lugano said Bielsa, with the team since 2023, should never have been at a World Cup. Reports said there was a player mutiny before the Spain game over tactics and exhausting training sessions.
"This is a mistake that Uruguay hopefully never makes again," Lugano stressed, referring to the appointment of the famously idiosyncratic coach, who also caused dismay after the match with an angry outburst on camera because of the wait to be interviewed.
Lugano took part in two World Cups with his country. In 2010, the captain helped a star-studded La Celeste to the semi-finals, where Uruguay lost to the Netherlands.
