I saw Liverpool forward crying in the dressing room - and I told him you are the best

Luis Suarez has claimed that Darwin Nunez was reduced to tears by Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa.

The former Leeds United manager has been in charge of La Celeste since May 2023. He’s got Uruguay firing in terms of results as they reached the Copa America semi-finals in the summer and are third in the CONMEBOL table to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Liverpool striker Nunez has been a key player for Uruguay under Bielsa. The ex-Benfica man has scored 10 goals in total, although Bielsa’s methods have come under question, with several backroom staff members joining during his tenure.

And having retired from international duty last month, former Anfield favourite Suarez has suggested that players do not enjoy being coached by Bielsa. The former Barcelona marksman also suggested that Bielsa heavily criticised Nunez at half-time in a 2-0 win over Argentina in November 2023, which led to the Liverpool man crying. Nunez would go on to net La Celeste’s second goal in the historic triumph.

Via ESPN, Suarez said: “You see that players go and don’t enjoy themselves. You see that they have fun in their teams, they smile, and they don’t do that with the national team, they’re not enjoying it. It hurts me what the national team is going through, and there are teammates who won’t come out and say it, and it’s understandable.

“I saw Darwin crying and I told him: 'You are here because of your own merit, because of how hard you work, you are a goalscorer and you are the best. You have to continue like this, forget what others say. Wash your face, go out and break it.

“That is why when he scored the goal I was the first one he greeted. For me Darwin needs affection, to be supported and containment, not other things. I ran into the coach in the hallway and he told me: 'We are not helping him with those things.' I was taken aback, and I told him that I had to support him. After the victory, Bielsa greeted me and said: 'Do you know what happens? If I don't talk to him like that... You saw what he ran in the second half.' And I told him that my part was to contain him.”

Nunez joined Liverpool from Benfica in June 2022 for a fee that could reach a record £85 million. The 25-year-old has had a mixed time at Anfield, scoring 34 goals in 103 appearances and has found himself largely down the pecking order so far this season.