Man United’s Manuel Ugarte at centre of Uruguay World Cup revolt | OneFootball

With the World Cup now in full swing, nations are learning their fate as to who will progress to the knockout phases and who will be heading home for their summer holiday after an embarrassing early exit.

Manuel Ugarte’s Uruguay side are one of those teetering on the edge of elimination after two disappointing draws in their opening group games.

Saudi Arabia were 10 minutes away from defeating the Uruguayans in the Group H curtain raiser that needed a late equaliser from United transfer target Maxi Araújo to salvage a point, before tournament surprise package Cape Verde earned a point against the South Americans in a thrilling 2-2 draw.

Ugarte leading mutiny

This has left Uruguay needing a positive result against Spain in the final group fixture, which is set up to be an absolute barnstormer in the early hours of Saturday morning. Given the underwhelming start to the World Cup, questions have arisen over head coach Marcelo Bielsa’s suitability for the top role, with some of the players now turning their back on the experienced coach.

As reported by ESPN Uruguay, relayed by Cope, United’s Ugarte is one of the players leading the ‘mutiny in Uruguay’, which is threatening to completely derail the hopes of the nation. The report claims Bielsa’s relationship has been “strained for several months” with a handful of individuals in the camp after his omission of certain players for the showpiece tournament.

It’s said Ugarte, along with Real Madrid star Federico Valverde, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur and Internacional goalkeeper Sergio Rochet, are heading the group of disgruntled stars who have been left disillusioned with the situation in camp.

The quartet reportedly requested a meeting with Bielsa in the build-up to the crucial Spanish clash to inform him they “didn’t like his methods and his tactical approach” and were unhappy with the intensity in training that they feel has resulted in injuries.

Emergency meeting called

Furthermore, the players have “urged Bielsa to have a low block and a counter-attacking approach against Spain”, with the head coach then calling a meeting to lay a marker down and bite back at his unhappy camp.

The report claims Bielsa spoke to the group for 48 minutes and laid into his stars, who he feels have left him high and dry, before explaining his reasons for including the players he has in the squad.

“He also criticised them for having tried to sack him on several occasions. He claimed that he had built the careers of players like Cáceres and Maxi Araújo. Finally, he acknowledged that he had taken injured players to the World Cup, but that their loyalty to him was the reason they were selected,” states Cope.

It is now a huge test of Bielsa’s management skills to get his players back onside for what is a mammoth test against the Spanish, with the Uruguayans on the brink of a hugely unexpected early exit, particularly given the lack of pedigree in their group.

Ugarte is likely to start the game despite his rebellion and disappointing individual performances in both group fixtures so far that has left them facing an uphill battle in Guadalajara tomorrow.

Back at club level, Ugarte’s future is also on shaky ground, with United open to offers for a player that simply is not good enough on the ball to cope with the demands of the Premier League.

It’s expected the 25-year-old will be moved on from Old Trafford after an underwhelming spell in Manchester with any recouped funds going into finding a suitable replacement in the market.

Featured image Molly Darlington via Getty Images

online polls

The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social