Soccer

Former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa named head coach of Uruguay

Argentine signs three-year deal and replaces Diego Alonso after World Cup failure

Former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has been appointed as Uruguay head coach. Photograph: PA
Former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has been appointed as Uruguay head coach. Photograph: PA
Tue May 16 2023 - 10:36

Marcelo Bielsa has been appointed as Uruguay head coach. The 67-year-old had been out of football management since leaving Leeds almost 15 months ago.

The Uruguayan Football Association confirmed Bielsa’s appointment on a deal running until the 2026 World Cup. He succeeds Diego Alonso as national team boss.

Alonso’s contract expired after the World Cup in Qatar earlier this season, where Uruguay suffered a shock group-stage exit. Bielsa served as manager of Argentina from 1998 to 2004 and he also had a four-year stint in charge of Chile.

Bielsa guided Leeds back to the Premier League from the Championship in 2020 and was one of the most popular managers in the club’s history, but he left in February last year following a run of four successive league defeats.

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His lengthy managerial career has also included spells with Athletic Bilbao, Marseille and Lille.

Uruguay are currently 16th in FIFA’s world rankings, with Bielsa’s first major campaign at the helm set to be next year’s Copa America in the United States.