Bielsa before England friendly: relishing test, focus on prep | OneFootball

Marcelo Bielsa spoke ahead of the friendly between Uruguay and England and made his stance on these kinds of matches clear. “Playing against the best always excites me”, he said before the game at Wembley.

The coach referred to the heavy defeat against the United States months ago and used it as a starting point for his analysis. “Beyond the result, I always prefer matches that push us to the limit”, he explained. The clash against England, along with the friendly against Algeria, is part of Uruguay’s preparation for the World Cup, where they will share a group with Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde, and Spain.

In his individual analysis, Bielsa focused on Federico Valverde. He highlighted his current form and his ability to adapt to different positions on the field. “He has shown a very striking ability to create an imbalance in recent matches”, he said, praising his versatility and mentioning him as a midfielder, full-back, and even as a right-sided attacker, depending on the team’s needs.

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA – OCTOBER 10 (Photo by Daniel Jayo/Getty Images)

When asked about the World Cup, the coach avoided looking too far ahead. “Imagining what is going to happen is a temptation, but also a drawback”, he said. He added that the goal is for the players to arrive at the tournament in peak physical and footballing condition.

Bielsa will face his third World Cup as a coach, but made it clear that the immediate focus is on the friendlies and the team’s development.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.