Uruguayan defender José María Giménez said that Luis Suárez's comments about head coach Marcelo Bielsa have opened up "an opportunity" for the team to grow together.

“A lot of people are seeing this as a big mess. Honestly, I see it as an opportunity. An opportunity for us to grow as a group, to come together. I’m not just talking about the players, but everyone – the coaching staff, the players, the directors. We all need to be pulling in the same direction,” the Atlético Madrid defender told reporters at Carrasco International Airport.

He also emphasized that the most important thing is the Uruguayan national team and described his relationship with Bielsa as "professional."

“We’re 100% behind the coach. We’re really grateful, because obviously, he’s shown what he’s capable of and that’s reflected in the results (...) We’re thankful for all the tools he’s given us. We’re with him. It’s true that in terms of day-to-day stuff, there were things that bothered us, and the best thing is to talk about it like the grown adults we are,” he stressed.

A day earlier, Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde also addressed the issue, backing Suárez's statements, saying that everything Suárez said about Bielsa “was completely true.” “Everything Luis said is true. He never lied or said anything that wasn’t accurate. He didn’t exaggerate at all, he told it like it is. As for me, like all the other leaders, we need to talk in the locker room. We need to speak among ourselves as a team, like we always have, and get better,” Valverde pointed out.

A few days earlier, Suárez gave an interview on the show De Fútbol Se Habla Así on DSports, where he accused Bielsa of being disrespectful to some of the players. He mentioned that some players asked Bielsa "to at least say good morning" to them. Suárez also hinted that more players could quit the national team and said that some of the staff, like kit men and physiotherapists, couldn’t even enjoy their work anymore.

Additionally, Suárez shared that before the Copa América, he spoke with Bielsa for about five or six minutes on some matters, and Bielsa's only response was, "Thank you very much, Luis." Finally, Suárez recalled an incident in New York where Bielsa told the team not to stop to greet waiting fans, but Suárez, as team captain, insisted that the players should, and they ended up doing it.