Kolkata, Oct 5 (PTI) Uruguay head coach Diego Forlan has called for calm after the team’s back-to-back World Cup group-stage exits, insisting the setbacks do not define a side still blessed with top-notch talent as he begins rebuilding the two-time champions.
The celebrated former striker, who took over from Marcelo Bielsa after their 2026 heartbreak, began his tenure with a 1-3 defeat to Japan before Uruguay bounced back with a 4-1 win over South Korea.
He now faces India in his third game in charge at the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday.
“When you win, you’re not the best, and when you lose, you’re not the worst,” Forlan said at his pre-match press conference.
“If you’re talking about the last two World Cups, where we didn’t qualify from the group stage, of course, for a national team like Uruguay, with the players we have, it’s not good. We understand that.
“But we know it’s football and things happen. We’re not going to say that because we didn’t qualify, the players are not good players. They are really good players,” said Forlan who earned 112 caps and scored 36 goals.
The World Cup 2010 Golden Ball winner said his priority was to restore confidence while demanding accountability and adaptability from his players.
“You need to work hard. You need to try to give them the best you can. Try to give them answers for different situations, the way we are going to play,” he said.
“And then you need to understand that you’re going to win or you’re going to lose. This is life. But you’re not going to change the way you are.”
Also at the helm of their U-20 side, which will have to play the U-20 World Cup qualifiers next year, he said the pressure that comes with managing Uruguay is part of the job.
“You always, as a player or as a manager, have that pressure. You have to live with it,” he said.
“Being the manager of a really important national team like Uruguay, you have that pressure that you need to make the team play well and win games, because our history is big. We understand that.”
The 47-year-old also highlighted the difference between being a player and managing an entire national team.
“It’s different. As a manager, you have to take care of the players. It’s not only about you; it’s about everybody… Not only the players, but the staff, everybody. You try to organise everything and, of course, as a manager, make them play as best as we can and also win games,” he said.
“As a player, sometimes, most of the time, it’s more about you. Of course, it’s a sport of teammates, but still, you have to behave and take care of yourself. In this role, it’s about 360 degrees. You have to think about everything.”
Forlan said his football philosophy is shaped by the quality of players at his disposal, but his preference remains clear.
“It also depends on the kind of players you have. I think we have really good-quality players with different styles. A lot of players are playing in really good leagues in Europe, America, North America and the East. They are doing really well,” he said.
“As a player, the way I used to play, I really liked playing good football. If you try to do that with your team, I think the results are going to be much better.”
“But still, you need to see every game. Of course, our ideal is to play well because we have the players to do that. But you have to see each game is different and you need to see how the players are.”
On his first two games as coach, Forlan said: “The first game, we just met the day before with the whole team. We tried to get to know each other. Of course, some of us knew each other from our country, but we didn’t have the opportunity to know each other professionally.
“But I think we didn’t deserve to lose that game. I think we did better. We had more chances. But football is like that sometimes. You don’t deserve something, but you still lose.”
The response against South Korea showed what Uruguay could achieve with more time together, he added.
“We had four days before a really difficult game against Korea, with more time for the players to rest and get to know each other and work a little bit more. We had a really, really, really good game,” he said.
“Every game in football, between the best and the weaker team, it’s always one goal difference. Things can happen in just one second.”
On rebuilding Uruguay ahead of the next World Cup cycle, Forlan said no single area could be isolated.
“I think every aspect of the team. Of course, forwards are always important because you can play well, but if you don’t score goals, you’re not going to win games,” he said.
“So every aspect of the team is important. If you are in a national team like Uruguay, you need to have that level, and we have that. We need to try to make them feel confident and happy to play the way they play in their teams, because you can see their capacity and their ability.
“This is something that we try to do — bring the best players we can and make them play as a team. If we can do that, our national team can win games.”
Forlan also credited his years as a player, his coaches and his family for shaping his approach, including his time at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson.
“I was privileged to have the opportunity to play for Manchester United for over three years in the Premier League and the FA Cup, and to be coached by a great manager like Alex Ferguson — a great human being and a great coach,” he said. PTI TAP ATK
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