Fernando Muslera will go down in all-time World Cup infamy after his horror show for Uruguay.
The 40-year-old was playing in his fifth World Cup but showed all the signs of aging in a knockout 1-0 defeat to Spain.
His error for Alex Baena’s winner will sadly forever tarnish his legacy, but even worse, that’s not all.
According to leading sports data company Opta, Muslera is the first goalkeeper to make three errors leading to goals in World Cup history.
Fernando Muslera speaks out
Speaking after the knockout, he said: “This is the closest I can get to speaking with the Uruguayans.
“I never thought I would suffer so much for this sport, especially considering all the work I’ve done and how I’ve prepared to be here.”
Asked what he said to his teammates, he revealed: “I spoke when they were a little calmer, I’m very sorry for not having had a good World Cup.
“I apologised to everyone and I also apologise to the Uruguayan people, although that’s not enough.”
Muslera left the field at half-time after his error, and coach Marcelo Bielsa later said it was the player’s call.
“He decided to leave,” Bielsa commented.
Marcelo Bielsa’s admission
In more comments, Bielsa took the blame for Uruguay’s humiliation.
“I will leave nothing for Uruguayan football,” he said.
“Any contribution from a coach who has been working for three years is meaningless if you don’t get results.
“Fourth place in the qualifiers was worthless, third place at the Copa América was worthless, and obviously, I don’t need to comment on that performance.
“We had a quality group of players. Despite the work, the effort, and the dedication, I didn’t succeed.”
Leave a Reply