San Mames oversaw a special occasion on Saturday night, with Marcelo Bielsa returning to Bilbao with his Uruguay side to take on the Basque national team, playing their first match since 2020.
It was a keenly-contested encounter, with both sides playing out a 1-1 draw. Alvaro Djalo scored for the Basques, with what Athletic Club fans will hope to be his first of many at San Mames, as he prepares to join the club in the summer.
However, the occasion itself was left with a slight bitter taste by the end of proceedings following a clash between Bielsa and Jagoba Arrasate, the Osasuna manager who was in charge of the Basque side for the match. As per Relevo, the former was visibly furious after being annoyed at the number of substitutions were made by Arrasate (nine, compared to his six). As a result, Bielsa would decide against speaking to the media post-match.
Marcelo Bielsa refused to speak to the media after Uruguay's 1-1 draw with the Basque Country.
He was angry at the opposition who made 9 substitutions despite FIFA regulations stating teams can make 6 substitutions in international friendlies.pic.twitter.com/lXP8HaJFBZ
— Jamie Ralph (@ModernLepra) March 23, 2024
International friendlies do have a cap of six subs per side, but with his being a UEFA B match, the sides can agree on more before the match takes place. Arrasate said that this agreement was in place, although Bielsa was seemingly none the wiser to it.
