'I'm not a model' - Uruguay boss Marcelo Bielsa bites back after World Cup photoshoot refusal goes viral after Saudi Arabia draw

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English football fans are well-acquainted with Marcelo Bielsa's touchline quirks and daring tactics from his time in charge of Leeds United in the Premier League and Championship.

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And on Monday, the 70-year-old - who is taking charge of Uruguay at this summer's World Cup - reminded fans exactly what the English top flight has been missing since he left Elland Road in February 2022.

Ahead of matches taking place at this year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, videos from a pre-tournament photoshoot of managers and players are shown on broadcast and on the big screens at stadiums when the starting line-ups are displayed.

The videos typically show players and coaches doing some sort of pose, kissing the badge on their shirt, for example. Some choose to be more creative. But not Bielsa.

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Over 20 painstaking seconds show the Argentine coach refusing to engage with the pre-tournament photoshoot, looking down to the ground and shaking his head when prompted to provide some sort of pose for the cameras.

"I don't have to give any explanation, the picture was taken the way it was taken," he told journalists on Monday. "I'm not a model."

Bielsa circled back to the topic of the photoshoot after questions had moved on: "There is a limit in terms of what we need to explain.

"If I'm wearing glasses, why am I wearing glasses? You look somebody in the eye, why do you do that?

"There is nothing wrong about wearing glasses or looking into somebody's eyes or looking down."

For a coach who has been in the dug-out since 1987, modern media requirements for digital and broadcast outputs have changed seismically throughout Bielsa's career.

His reluctance to embrace the whimsical new line-up routine immediately went viral on social media.

Ultimately, Bielsa's old-school mindset will be to do the talking on the pitch, but it was a frustrating start for Uruguay in Group H, as they were held to a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia.

Bielsa took up his usual position on the touchline, perched on a cool box in the dug-out. He was even made to wheel back a few inches, after he was seemingly told he was too close to the pitch.

The cool box became an iconic staple of Bielsa's touchline presence. And when he joined Leeds, the box was displaced by a bucket.

Bielsa's behaviour typically endears him to the footballing public - despite a spying scandal during his Leeds tenure in 2019 - and his tactics leave the football purists purring.

He is well regarded by Leeds fans after leading them back to the Premier League as Championship winners in 2020, before guiding them to a ninth-placed finish on their return.

On Monday, he watched his side fall 1-0 behind to Saudi Arabia, and was frustrated as a number of chances were thwarted by the inspired Mohammed Al-Owais in goal.

But Maximiliano Araujo equalised on 80 minutes to ensure Uruguay would not suffer an upset in their opener, with Cape Verde and Spain to come in their final two group-stage fixtures.

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