Bielsa criticizes World Cup hydration breaks, calling them detrimental to football

Uruguay's national team coach, Marcelo Bielsa, has voiced strong criticism against the hydration breaks implemented in World Cup matches. He argues that dividing games into four segments, punctuated by these breaks, detracts significantly from the sport's flow and excitement without offering any tangible benefit.

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They don't add anything and take away a lot, when they divided it into four (the match), they didn't think about football, they thought about other repercussions.

Bielsa suggested that the decision to implement these breaks was not made with the game of football in mind, implying that other factors may have influenced the decision. "They don't add anything and take away a lot," Bielsa stated in a press conference. "When they divided it into four (the match), they didn't think about football, they thought about other repercussions."

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What happened in the second half was totally different. (...) What the team did in the second half, they could have done in the first half too.

The coach also reflected on his team's performance in their recent match, noting a stark difference between their first and second halves. He described the initial 45 minutes as "sluggish" and expressed a desire for the team to replicate the energy and performance seen after halftime from the beginning of the game. Additionally, Bielsa defended the team's choice of Playa del Carmen as their training base, despite the travel required to reach their match venues in the United States, citing the excellent facilities and the accommodating nature of the staff.

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We could not imagine a better place, not only because of the facilities, but because of the availability of everyone who works there. It is a very generous place with our needs.