Sebastián Cáceres defends Marcelo Bielsa after Uruguay World Cup exit | OneFootball

Sebastián Cáceres has publicly backed Leeds United hero Marcelo Bielsa after Uruguay's early World Cup exit, challenging reports he says misrepresented events.

As reported by yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk, Bielsa was due to finish after this summer's tournament, but draws with Saudi Arabia and Cabo Verde and defeat by Spain ended hopes of a fond farewell.

After the Spain loss he said he had given Uruguayan football nothing, arguing that any three-year stint is futile without results, and that he did not need to add more on the World Cup performance.

Back in Montevideo, Bielsa plans a press conference, having already made headlines for snapping when a post-match interview was slow to start. Amid talk of rifts, América defender Cáceres was reportedly the only player on the commercial flight with Bielsa and he addressed the media, declining to share dressing-room discussions but seeking to push back on claims.

"I'm not going to say what happened behind closed doors." He added: "I can say that some things came out, were leaked, that were completely untrue, that didn't happen as they were portrayed. Everything that was said was twisted and distorted. I think the information was manipulated a lot, perhaps to make Marcelo look bad, and I don't think that's right."

Cáceres said Uruguay conceded avoidable goals and made life harder for themselves. "Obviously, I can only speak for myself," he added. "I have the utmost respect for him and am very grateful." He noted others may disagree but felt most people know how things went.

Source: yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk