New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) Former Uruguay striker Diego Forlan is in talks with the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) about taking charge of the national team on an interim basis, local media reported.

Under the proposal, Forlan would oversee six friendlies scheduled for September, October and November while also taking charge of the under-20 side. A permanent manager will be appointed at the end of the year or early next year, AUF president Ignacio Alonso said, Uruguayan newspaper El Pais reported.

“He’s enthusiastic, although there are still some issues to discuss and we’ll meet again in the coming hours,” Alonso was quoted as saying.

Forlan is widely regarded as one of Uruguay’s greatest players. During his career, he had spells at Manchester United, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan. He made 112 appearances for Uruguay and scored 36 goals.

He won the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup after scoring five goals to help Uruguay reach the semifinals.

The 47-year-old’s coaching experience includes spells in charge of Uruguayan clubs Penarol and Atenas.

The move comes after Marcelo Bielsa left the role in the wake of Uruguay’s group-stage exit at the FIFA World Cup in June. Two-time World Cup winner Uruguay finished third in Group H after draws against Cabo Verde and Saudi Arabia and a defeat to Spain.

Bielsa led Uruguay to 16 wins, 12 draws and eight losses following his appointment in May 2023. He denied widespread media reports that his relationship with the players had broken down.

“For me, this farewell is very painful because of the hopes I had when I took on this project, because of the way it ended, and because of the efforts of so many people, especially the players,” the 70-year-old Argentine had said. “As for my responsibility for what happened, I think it is very clear that I cannot justify the position we finished in. In short, the way I managed the resources available to me, considering the quality of players I had, was not enough.”

—IANS

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