Marcelo Bielsa is the latest figure to criticize hydration breaks, saying the rule “adds nothing and takes away a lot”, Yankee Scores reports.
The Uruguay boss addressed this before their second Group D game against Cape Verde on Sunday, which they drew 2-2.
Uruguay are second on the log and will hope to get their first win of the tournament when they face Spain on Saturday in their final group match.
Bielsa’s Philosophical Critique
“With the new rules there are lots of goals — so be it,” he said. “According to the general consensus, playing four periods instead of two alters the culturally constructed conception of how to interpret football.
“In my view, it adds nothing and takes away a lot. When [the match] was divided into four periods, no thought was given to the effect it might have on what makes football such a captivating sport, but instead to other repercussions which I’m neither discussing nor analyzing.”
The three-minute stoppages were introduced by FIFA for the players’ welfare with high temperatures expected at the tournament.
The move has been met with backlash from USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who said the break should only be used “when the conditions are extreme”, per ESPN.
Some broadcasters, including Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk, have been criticized for airing commercials
Bielsa continued: “I’m saying that before this decision, football had one characteristic and now it has a different one. I’m saying that people fall in love with the game because of its characteristics.
“There are great successes, like the influence of VAR, which has improved the game, but this other attempt has consequences that are not positive.
“These aren’t just my opinions, but a general view.”
