Óscar Tabárez

Óscar Tabárez

Personal information
Full name	Óscar Wáshington Tabárez Silva
Date of birth	March 3, 1947 (1947-03-03)
Place of birth	Montevideo, Uruguay
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Uruguay (Head Coach)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1967–1971	Sud América
1972–1973	Sportivo Italiano
1975	Montevideo Wanderers
1976	Fénix
1976–1977	Puebla
1977–1979	Bella Vista
Teams managed
1980–1983	Bella Vista
1983	Uruguay U20
1984	Danubio
1985–1986	Montevideo Wanderers
1987	Peñarol
1987	Uruguay U20
1988	Deportivo Cali
1988–1990	Uruguay
1991–1993	Boca Juniors
1993–1994	Peñarol
1994–1995	Cagliari
1996	Milan
1997–1998	Oviedo
1998–1999	Cagliari
2001	Vélez Sársfield
2002	Boca Juniors
2006–	Uruguay
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Tabárez and the second or maternal family name is Silva.

Óscar Wáshington Tabárez Silva, nicknamed El Maestro (The Teacher) (born 3 March 1947 in Montevideo) is a retired Uruguayan footballer who played as a defender, and the current manager of the Uruguayan national team.

After an unassuming career as a player, he embarked on an extensive coaching career which has lasted more than 30 years and included coaching teams in Colombia, Argentina, Italy and Spain. Tabárez managed the Uruguay national football team from 1988-1990, returning to the job for a second time in 2006. He led the team to fourth place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and to victory in the 2011 Copa América. According to many football experts Tabarez is regarded one of the best tacticians in modern days and widely respected in Soccer fraternity.

Playing career

During his 12-year senior career, Tabárez played mainly for modest clubs, representing Sud América, Sportivo Italiano (Argentina), Montevideo Wanderers, Fénix, Puebla in Mexico and Bella Vista, retiring at the age of 32.

Coaching career

In 1980, a year after retiring as a player, Tabárez took up coaching at Bella Vista. The following year, he was named the Uruguay under-20s manager. He would coach the side on two separate occasions. He subsequently worked in many clubs in his country, without settling anywhere. However, in 1987, he led national giants C.A. Peñarol to their fifth Copa Libertadores, beating América de Cali. This success was fundamental in his appointment as manager of the Uruguayan national team, which he led to the Round of 16 of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, losing against the hosts. He later coached Argentine League giants Boca Juniors for two years.

In 1994 Tabárez moved to Italy to manage Serie A side Cagliari Calcio. After leading them to ninth place in the 1994–95 season, Tabárez was hired by A.C. Milan, but his spell would only last a few months: after an Italian Supercup defeat against ACF Fiorentina, at the San Siro, a 2–3 loss at against Piacenza Calcio for the league cost him his position. He was replaced by Arrigo Sacchi, and the Rossoneri eventually finished 11th.

Tabárez then worked with Real Oviedo in Spain, with the Asturias club eventually only maintaining top division status in the promotion/relegation play-offs against UD Las Palmas, winning 4–3 on aggregate. He then returned to Cagliari, being sacked after one draw and three losses.

After two years in Argentina, with Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield and Boca, Tabárez spent four years away from football management. In 2006, after Uruguay had failed to qualify for three out of the preceding four FIFA World Cups, he took charge of the national team. His first tournament saw the side take fourth place in the 2007 Copa América, in Venezuela.

After a successful play-off against Costa Rica, Tabárez and the Charrúas qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, where the national team reached the semi-finals for the first time in 40 years, only conceding five goals in six matches until that point. Uruguay ended the competition in fourth place, after a 2–3 defeat against Germany.

In the 2011 Copa América Tábarez led Uruguay to its 15th victory in the tournament, with the national side winning three games and drawing three in Argentina, and only conceding three goals. This meant that Tabarez has led Uruguay to the most wins of any country ever in the Copa America.

Honours

Coach

Club

• Peñarol:
  • Copa Libertadores: 1987

• Boca Juniors:
  • Primera División: 1992 Apertura
  • Supercopa Masters: 1992

Country

• Uruguay:
  • Pan American Games: 1983
  • Copa América: 2011; Runner-up 1989

Individual

• South American Coach of the Year: 2010, 2011

Personal life

• Aside from his career in football, Tabárez also worked as a teacher.
• He is a professed admirer of the teachings of Che Guevara—naming his daughter Tania after Guevara's last companion—and the work of Eduardo Galeano.

External links

• BDFutbol profile
• Weltfussball profile (German)

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Héctor Veira	Copa Libertadores winning managers 1987	Succeeded by Roberto Fleitas