Uruguay Soccer Coach Refuses to Look at Camera During World Cup Photo Shoot

Sometimes photographers can encounter tricky subjects who are not interested in cooperating and plainly do not want to be photographed in the first place. One such person is Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa.

It’s standard during major sports events for photos and videos to be taken of the players and coaches, which are later used for graphics or vignettes. They’re filmed in a studio and typically feature players pumping their fists at the camera in a clip that can be later added into the production.

But Uruguayan coach Marcelo Bielsa had no interest in engaging in this process. Instead, when it was his turn to step up to the camera, he simply looked down at the floor in a bizarre fashion.

“I’m not a model,” Bielsa told reporters yesterday after being quizzed on the photo shoot. “I don’t have to give any explanation, the picture was taken the way it was taken. Should I also explain why I don’t look to the people who are speaking to me at this moment?”

Bielsa is an experienced coach who has managed two other teams in the World Cup, Argentina and Chile, prior to Uruguay. Bielsa has also managed in Europe and notably in the Premier League with Leeds United, where he gained a reputation for being a maverick. Bielsa famously sits on a bucket during games.

The Guardian reports that Getty Images photographers Michael Regan and Molly Darlington were conducting the photo shoot in Cancún, Mexico, on June 10. While there was no issue getting the photos they wanted from the Uruguayan players, Bielsa’s refusal to look at the camera has ended up going viral.

“There is a limit in terms of what we need to explain,” Bielsa continued to the reporters. “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.”

Uruguay drew their opening game against Saudi Arabia 1-1. Up next is Cape Verde.