'Plot to dismiss the coach → controversy over work stoppage': Uruguay cancels charter flight in shock move after early elimination from World Cup qualifiers!

*This content was translated by AI.

The Uruguay national football team, which suffered a shocking early exit in the 2026 North American World Cup group stage, has faced an unprecedented punitive measure: the cancellation of its charter flight home. Despite possessing formidable objective strength as the 16th-ranked team in the FIFA rankings, the team collapsed helplessly. It has now emerged that a "plot to dismiss the coach" and a "controversy over work stoppage" by the squad were behind the collapse, causing the scandal to spread like wildfire.

According to reports by multiple foreign media outlets, including Spain's 'Marca', on the 28th (Korean time), after Uruguay lost 0-1 to Spain in the final group stage match and was officially eliminated, the Uruguay Football Association (AUF) abruptly cancelled the charter flight that had been allocated for the squad.

As a result of this sudden cancellation, Uruguay's star players, who command astronomical salaries, were humiliated by having to return home separately on regular commercial flights instead of the charter flight. Local media analyzed this as the association sending a "de facto punitive message" to the squad that ruined the tournament with its pathetic performance, which fell far short of expectations.

The reality of the disastrous internal conflict within the Uruguay camp that triggered the charter flight cancellation has also come to light. According to foreign media, throughout the tournament, an extreme tension existed between head coach Marcelo Bielsa (71) and the squad.

At the center of the conflict was Federico Valverde (28, Real Madrid), the team's key midfielder. Valverde and other core players reportedly strongly protested to Coach Bielsa, claiming that the training was excessively intense and causing injuries to the players. In particular, a tactical disagreement between the squad, which demanded an extreme counter-attacking strategy with a deeply dropped defensive line ahead of the Spain match, and Coach Bielsa, who insisted on strict one-on-one man-marking, erupted.

In response to the players' collective backlash, Coach Bielsa retaliated with an unimaginably bizarre countermeasure. Bielsa immediately summoned the entire squad and, for a full 48 minutes, delivered a scathing tirade while keeping his head bowed and staring only at the floor. At this meeting, Bielsa reportedly singled out certain players, directly raising allegations of work stoppage by accusing them of "plotting to dismiss me twice," and also reportedly ranted, stating that "the careers of some players here were made by me."

Ultimately, the coach's unilateral insistence on tactics and the squad's insubordination led to the worst possible outcome on the pitch: a "helpless early exit." The angry association then took the extreme step of stripping the squad of its charter flight, bringing the episode to a dramatic conclusion.

As Uruguay, once considered a favorite to win the title, collapsed into chaos and was eliminated from the World Cup stage, the fallout surrounding the truth of the plot to dismiss the coach and the work stoppage is expected to send shockwaves through the Uruguayan football community.

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*This content was translated by AI.