Winger Agustin Canobbio, who was sent off late in the defeat by Spain, had earlier been involved a blazing row with Bielsa, saying the breaking point came when the coach criticised the way he was sitting.
After the thrashing by the United States, Bielsa spoke openly about his own difficulties in relating to people, describing himself as a “toxic perfectionist”.
It raises the possibility that his familiar blend of aloof eccentricity is less effective with modern players, who often look for a stronger personal connection with their coach.
Bielsa himself has reflected – in typically thoughtful fashion – that, for all the advances in sports science, enthusiasm matters more than preparation in getting a team to function as one. For whatever reason, over the past two years he has been unable to instil enough of that quality.
He has, at times, also appeared out of step with the modern game. He criticised the tournament’s hydration breaks – a classic piece of Bielsa-ese – saying they “interfere with the culturally constructed conception of interpreting football. They add nothing…”
He also refused to take part in an official World Cup photoshoot. “I’m not a model,” he said, after his picture was taken as he stared at the floor.
Bielsa was always going to step down after this tournament, but that prospect failed to bring renewed energy to the dressing room.
Uruguay, a nation whose impact on global football is oversized in relation to their modest 3.4 million population, will be back.
When it comes to Bielsa, one of football’s most compelling managerial careers may well be over.
