The longest work of a national team coach in South American football was interrupted. Óscar Washington Tabárez, 74, was fired by the Uruguayan Football Association after 15 years as Uruguay’s coach. The decision was announced this Friday (19).
It is not yet defined who will be his replacement. Diego Aguirre, from Internacional, is named as one of the candidates.
Tabárez was released after Uruguay’s streak of poor results in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. The team has lost the last four games and has scored just one goal. In the last five rounds of the competition, they got just one point. The selection is in 7th in the table, but one point away from the 4th position, which gives direct place to the World Cup.
The coach’s last game in front of Celeste was last Tuesday (16), a 3-0 defeat by Bolivia, in La Paz.
Tabárez was already teetering in office. After the 4-1 rout against Brazil, on October 4, there was a meeting of the football association leaders to decide whether the work should continue or not. You decided on continuity. He refused to declare that he had made the position available or resigned.
Under his command, the selection achieved its best results in the last 50 years.
He was signed in 2006 after the country failed to seek a spot at the World Cup in Germany. Immediately, he presented a document on how the teams, from the base to the professional, should train, play and the tactical scheme that should be implemented.
At the 2010 World Cup, Uruguay reached the semifinals for the first time since 1970 and striker Diego Forlán was named best player in the competition. The result represented the Uruguayan renaissance that, the following year, would win the Copa América in Argentina.
Under Tabárez’s command, the country also went to the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. In the tournament held in Brazil, it fell in the round of 16. In Russia, it made it to Wednesdays. He was eliminated by France, who would later become champions.
Before that, he had already directed the team at the World Cup in Italy, in 1990. In total, the coach nicknamed “Maestro” (Professor, in Spanish) directed the team in 226 matches. He won 109, drew 57 and lost 60.
Uruguay returns to play for the qualifiers on January 27, when they visit Paraguay.
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