Marcelo Bielsa, the 67-year-old Argentine, has officially been named the head coach of Uruguay with his tenure lasting through the 2026 World Cup, according to an announcement made by the Uruguayan Football Association on Monday.
To welcome Bielsa, who is known for his tactical expertise, the association posted a video and internet memes on Twitter.
“Our public demands gameplay and emotions. The time has arrived,” the association said on Twitter.
Uruguay is slated to play friendlies versus Nicaragua and Cuba in June, which are likely to be Bielsa’s first games. South American World Cup qualifying matches are scheduled to begin in September.
Bielsa, who coached Argentina from 1998 to 2004, led them to a group stage exit in the 2002 World Cup and won the gold medal at the Athens Olympics in 2004 before leaving the position owing to personal reasons. He also coached Chile from 2007-2011.
Aside from coaching Argentina and Chile, he has had several managerial positions, including at Españyol, Athletic Bilbao, Marseille, and Lille.
He has been out of work since being fired by Leeds in February 2022.
Uruguay’s World Cup campaign in Qatar last year ended in the group stage.