Bielsa: Brazil has many top wingers, Vini Jr.’s replacement will also be tough to handle

On July 7th at 9 am, Uruguay and Brazil will face off in the quarterfinals of the Copa América. Ahead of the match, Uruguay’s head coach, Marcelo Bielsa, shared his thoughts on Vinícius Júnior’s absence.

Commenting on the Brazilian star’s suspension for the game against Uruguay, Bielsa said, “The Brazilian national team boasts a plethora of world-class wingers, so even without Vinícius, their chosen replacement will still pose a significant challenge for us.”

Referring to Uruguay’s past victory over Brazil in World Cup qualifiers, Bielsa emphasized, “What matters now is to acknowledge the current situation where all our players are available. Comparing past results to this match wouldn’t be appropriate, considering changes in the squads, coaching staff, and the overall sports context. Qualifiers differ from Copa América, the time of the season, tactical approaches, and thus historical performances should not be used as a benchmark.”

Regarding his own team, Bielsa stated, “We need to assess where we operate, how we win the ball, when to counterattack, if we can create threats, and how to organize our attacks effectively. We’ve seen some positive signs, but we’re aware that there’s much room for improvement. With a short interval between matches, improvements rely more on verbal guidance than practical training sessions.”

Talking about Colombia, Bielsa expressed admiration, “Colombia is a dark horse with remarkable displays that have garnered widespread praise. They have a wealth of attacking options and a close level of quality between starters and substitutes. Their players’ development in top global leagues has increased their competitiveness. They maintain innovation and passion while adapting to modern football’s demands.”

Addressing refereeing issues, Bielsa highlighted, “Controversies surrounding referees are detrimental to football’s health. Refereeing is already challenging, and technological interventions only fuel preconceived notions, negatively impacting the sport. Referees’ jobs are far more difficult than players’, yet they receive less public attention. Their decisions can be fair or unfair, but what counts is making the right call. As matches lose their unpredictability, their charm fades. Football is declining, with growing audiences but diminishing appeal, as we fail to properly value the core elements that make it the world’s number one sport.”