FOOTBALL MANAGER 2024 

C.A. PENAROL

I. INTRODUCTION:

I first encountered football management games nearly three decades ago—a time surely remembered fondly by veterans—starting with the CD-ROM release of Championship Manager 97/98 (with its green cover and physical disc), which I initially borrowed from a friend. Compared to today’s titles, this version featured a much simpler structure and virtually no graphics engine, yet it still offered an exhilarating sense of achievement to take a small club to the next level.

Over the years, I played almost every installment of the series with varying degrees of success, though the Football Manager series ultimately emerged as the winner among its competitors. Despite occasional breaks, I have played the game consistently over the years; I grew to love its complexity, as it requires not only tactical football knowledge but also the ability to navigate carefully considered economic challenges. Furthermore, managing the backroom staff puts our organizational skills and strategic planning to the test.

Football has been an integral part of my life since childhood, whether I was playing the sport or watching matches. My earliest memories date back to the 1986 World Cup, and I became a regular follower of the football world around the time of the 1990 tournament. Domestically, I have been a dedicated supporter of Újpest FC since 1994 —a passion that has not waned despite two decades of setbacks. Fundamentally, I subscribe to the legendary saying: "You can change your woman, your car, or your home at any time, but never your club!"

Naturally, I have launched careers with my favorite team in various editions of the game, yet Újpest was never the club where I spent the longest time. I did most of my "coaching" in Italy, guiding several smaller teams from Serie D or Serie C up to the top flight, though I have also pursued careers in the Balkans with Serbian and Croatian clubs. I don’t think I’ve ever managed a genuine top-tier club in any game; I much prefer building something up with a smaller team and—after a few in-game seasons—looking back at where we started versus where we ended up. I don’t see much of a challenge in managing an elite team in a top league, so I tend to avoid that kind of scenario.

Naturally, I bought Football Manager 26 this year, but after just a few hours of play, I gave up on it due to the new user interface. Instead, I returned to Football Manager 24 — which had been available for a long time given the absence of a ’25 release — as its interface is far more user-friendly and logically structured. With that in mind, I decided to launch one last major career in this game, set in a rather unconventional location; this report is where I’ll share the story of that journey with you.

II. TEAM SELECTION:

I definitely wanted to undertake a long-term “rebuild-style” career in South America. It was particularly important for me to work with a team — or at least represent a nation — that I genuinely like. In the context of Latin America, this narrowed the field to two nations: my number-one favorite, Argentina, and Uruguay, the "little brother" nation I’ve always found appealing.

I was far more familiar with Argentina and its league, having kept a closer eye on the top teams there over the years. While choosing one of the "Big Five" would have been the obvious move, I didn't want to start with them; the dominance of Argentine clubs in international competitions doesn't quite fit the narrative of a long-term rebuilding project. With a club like Boca Juniors or River Plate, winning the Copa Libertadores within a few years isn't just possible — it’s practically expected.

I wanted to choose a team with an excellent youth academy, as my goal was to achieve success and build the club step-by-step by developing and integrating homegrown players over the long haul. Financially, I wanted to join a club that wasn't considered wealthy. It was also important that the team not be an overwhelming favorite even within its own country, as I was looking for a challenge on the domestic stage as well. However, beyond domestic championships, I wanted to capture much bigger prizes: specifically, to reach the pinnacle of South American football through systematic development and secure international cup victories.

That is precisely why my attention increasingly shifted to neighboring Uruguay—a country significantly smaller in size, yet possessing a massive footballing culture and history — where I wanted to rewrite history and awaken a sleeping giant (though perhaps that sounds overly sentimental).

That is precisely why I chose PENAROL out of the two Uruguayan giants. The club boasts an excellent youth academy and is teeming with talented youngsters; however, it has lost its leading role on the domestic stage in recent years, occasionally even missing out on a podium finish — for instance, they ended the 2022 season in a mere sixth place. They possess decent infrastructure and a proper training center. The team has an incredibly passionate fan base; in that part of the world, football is akin to a religion for the people. Financially, the club also fit the criteria perfectly; while there is plenty one could say, one thing is certain: the team is not characterized by boundless wealth — every single penny has to be fought for here. Moreover, in the first year, the club is competing in the Copa Sudamericana (introduced in 2002) rather than the Copa Libertadores, which places them at a competitive disadvantage (the prize money in the premier competition is roughly three times higher...).

Their arch-rival, Nacional, had increasingly gained the upper hand — a trend I aim to reverse first on the domestic stage, before once again becoming the flagship of South American club football in the international arena. Once again — yes! For while few may realize it, the team boasts an incredibly impressive track record: they have previously won the Copa Libertadores five times and claimed the Intercontinental Cup on three other occasions! Beyond those five victories, the club also reached the Copa Libertadores final five additional times — meaning they boast ten final appearances in the continent's most prestigious competition, maintaining a 50% win rate in those matches.

With five Copa Libertadores titles, Peñarol holds a highly distinguished third place on the all-time list of South American clubs — a tremendous achievement, especially when considering the populations of Argentina and Brazil and the financial resources of their respective clubs! Argentine teams dominate the rankings; Independiente leads the pack with seven victories, followed by Boca Juniors in second place with six titles, and the team I support comes right after them. Their last victory was back in 1987 — it is high time for more success!

For this very reason, I have set several milestones for myself regarding the rescue effort:

• reclaim the role of the dominant force on the domestic stage as soon as possible, consistently contending for and winning the domestic league title
• place great emphasis on achieving success in international cup competitions right from the first year to stabilize the club's finances
• qualify for the Copa Libertadores every year starting from the second season, given the significantly higher prize money involved
• try to keep key players and the most talented youngsters at the club for as long as possible, selling them only for substantial fees that are truly significant for a club of our stature
• reinvest the proceeds from player sales back into the squad, prioritizing the recruitment of young talent
• as the club grows financially stronger, maximize training facilities to accelerate player development
• establish domestic dominance and break the record for consecutive league titles (the current record is five in a row)
• win our first trophy in the Copa Sudamericana
• save the biggest challenge for last: the ultimate goal is to top the all-time rankings in the Copa Libertadores — which will require at least three cup victories!

III. INTRODUCTION TO THE COUNTRY:

Uruguay is a relatively small country in South America. It is bordered by Brazil to the north and northeast, Argentina to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean — specifically the Río de la Plata estuary — to the south and southeast. Its capital is Montevideo, and its official language is Spanish. It is the second-smallest country in South America, after Suriname.

During the colonial era, the territory of present-day Uruguay was known as the Banda Oriental (Eastern Strip) and included the area of the so-called Eastern Missions, which were later seized by the Brazilian government and became part of the current Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The country gained its independence between 1811 and 1828, following conflicts involving Portugal and Spain, and later Argentina and Brazil. Administratively, the country is divided into 19 departments.

Uruguayans are predominantly of European descent; in the 2011 census, more than 87.7% of the population identified as being of European origin. Uruguay has a high literacy rate (98%) and a well-educated workforce. There is a strong urban middle class, and income levels are relatively balanced. During the military dictatorship of the 1970s and 1980s, an estimated half-million Uruguayans emigrated to Europe; consequently — and because the country has the lowest birth rate in the Americas — the population is aging. In addition to European (primarily Spanish) culture, Uruguay has also been influenced by African and indigenous Amerindian cultures.

Like most Latin American countries, Uruguay’s cultural heritage bears the stamp of Spanish culture — even though approximately half of the population is of Italian descent. The majority of the population has European ancestry, though there are also significant numbers of mestizos and Afro-Uruguayans. According to the 2011 census (totaling 3.28 million): 

• 87.7% of Uruguay's population is white,
• 7.8% is Afro-Uruguayan,
• 2.35% is mestizo,
• 0.23% is Asian.

Spanish is the official language and is spoken by almost everyone. English is frequently used in business, as are French and Italian. In the northern regions near the Brazilian border, the Portuguese language is widespread, as is Portuñol — a distinctive blend of Spanish and Portuguese.

It is a high-income developing country and a leader in Latin America regarding democracy, low levels of corruption, and e-government. It is classified as a "full democracy" and ranks very highly in international metrics for government transparency, economic freedom, social progress, income equality, per capita income, innovation, and infrastructure. By the late 2010s, it ranked first in South America in terms of press freedom, the size of the middle class, and prosperity.

IV. THE HISTORY OF URUGUAYAN FOOTBALL:

The Uruguay national football team, nicknamed "La Celeste" ("The Sky Blue"), has represented Uruguay in men's football since its first international match in 1902. It is administered by the Uruguayan Football Association — the country's governing body for football — which has been a founding member of CONMEBOL since 1916 and a member of FIFA since 1923. The team was also a member of the PFC, an initiative that sought to unify the confederations of the Americas between 1946 and 1961. Uruguay's home stadium is the Estadio Centenario, and the team has been coached by Marcelo Bielsa since 2023.

It is considered one of the most successful national teams in international competitions, and FIFA has dubbed it "football's first global superpower." Uruguay has won four FIFA-recognized world titles:

• two Olympic titles
• two FIFA World Cups.

They secured their first two international titles at the 1924 Paris and 1928 Amsterdam Olympics — events organized directly by FIFA as open competitions featuring professional players. In the former, Uruguay defeated Switzerland 3–0 in the final, while in the latter, they beat Argentina 2–1. They then claimed a third consecutive title at the inaugural FIFA World Cup in Montevideo in 1930, defeating Argentina 4–2 in the decisive match. Uruguay won its fourth title in 1950 by defeating hosts Brazil 2–1 in the final — a match that still holds the record for the highest official attendance in football history (173.850 people through the turnstiles).

Thanks to these achievements, the Uruguayan national team displays four FIFA-approved five-pointed stars on its crest. From the 1924 Olympics until the semi-finals of the 1954 World Cup, Uruguay remained undefeated in World Cup matches — a 30-year unbeaten streak — and won four consecutive world titles in the tournaments they entered, having chosen to skip the 1934 and 1938 World Cups. In regional competitions, Uruguay has won the Copa América 15 times — including the inaugural 1916 edition and most recently in 2011 — placing them second only to Argentina in the tournament's history for the most titles won. As of 2026, based on major international honors, Uruguay has won the second-highest number of major trophies, trailing only Argentina.

Throughout its history, Uruguay has consistently performed well in global football rankings, reaching second place in the FIFA World Rankings in June 2012. The team has also secured the top spot in the World Football Elo Ratings on several occasions. Over the years, Uruguay has developed numerous rivalries, the most significant being with neighboring Argentina — known as the "Clásico del Río de la Plata" due to their geographical proximity and cultural similarities — and with Brazil — known as the "Clásico del Río Negro", a reference to the 1950 FIFA World Cup final, famously known among fans as the "Maracanazo". Furthermore, FIFA officially recognizes Uruguay as a "Champion of World Champions" following its victory in the 1980 World Champions' Gold Cup (also known as the 1980 "Mundialito"). This unique designation makes Uruguay the only national team in football history to be officially recognized by FIFA with this title.

1.) The Beginnings (1900-1916):

Historically, football played a fundamental role in consolidating Uruguayan national identity and shaping the country's international image in the early 20th century. Uruguay is one of the most successful teams in the world, having won nineteen official FIFA-recognized tournaments — a world record for senior national teams. These include:

• 2 World Cup titles,
• 2 Olympic titles,
• 15 Copa América titles.

Uruguay, along with Argentina, was the first national team to play an international match outside the British Isles; the game took place in Montevideo on May 16, 1901, with Argentina winning 3–2. However, as the squads were mixed teams rather than official national teams, the match is considered unofficial. Frank Chevallier Boutell, the president of the Argentine Football League, served as a linesman during the match.

There is evidence of an even earlier match - though not between the national teams of the two countries, but rather between representative squads from their capitals, Buenos Aires and Montevideo - held on August 15, 1889. The representative teams from the two capitals faced off to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Queen Victoria's reign. The match reportedly took place at the so-called "New Ground" in La Blanqueada and ended in a 3–0 victory for the Buenos Aires team over the Montevideo side. The first official match between the national teams of Uruguay and Argentina was played on July 20, 1902, at the Albion ground; Argentina won 6–0 (a result that remains the most decisive away victory in the derby to this day). Eight of the players in the Uruguayan starting eleven were from the Nacional club. On September 13, 1903, Uruguay won its first match, defeating Argentina 3–2 in Buenos Aires with a squad composed entirely of Nacional players.

Their nickname, "La Celeste" ("The Sky Blues"), traces back to their first international victory on August 15, 1910, in Montevideo, where they beat Argentina 3–1 in the first match they played wearing sky-blue jerseys. This jersey was adopted as a national symbol in recognition of a recent 2–1 victory by River Plate — wearing the same colors — over the formidable Alumni Athletic Club of Buenos Aires.

2.) The first international successes (1916-1924):

Uruguay won the first two editions of the South American championship: the first was held in Buenos Aires in 1916, and the second in Montevideo in 1917. The Uruguayan national team became the continent's first champion after finishing ahead of Argentina at the 1916 Copa América, held in Buenos Aires. The tournament was played in a round-robin format; a 0–0 draw against Argentina in the final round secured the title for "La Celeste". Uruguay also won the following Copa América in 1917, this time as hosts. The title was again decided in the final round against Argentina; Uruguay won 1–0, becoming South American champions for the second consecutive time.

Uruguay reached the final again at the 1919 Copa América in Brazil. After playing out a 2–2 draw with the hosts, the teams were level on points, forcing a play-off match. Brazil won the play-off 1–0 to claim their first title, while Uruguay finished second.

At the 1920 Copa América in Chile, Uruguay once again entered the final match at the top of the standings and defeated the hosts 2–1, securing their third title. Argentina's victory over Brazil on the same day proved insufficient, and the Argentines finished in second place. Uruguay failed to secure the title at the 1921 (Argentina) and 1922 (Brazil) tournaments, finishing third in both competitions — first behind champions Argentina, and then behind hosts Brazil.

The Copa América returned to Uruguay in 1923 and 1924. In the 1923 edition, Uruguay and Argentina were tied for the lead heading into the final round. Uruguay defeated their rivals 2–0 at the Gran Parque Central, thereby securing the title. In 1924, a 0–0 draw against Argentina in the final round was enough for Uruguay to become champions once again, thanks to having achieved more victories during the tournament.

3.) The Golden Age – Olympic and World Champion (1924–1930):

Uruguay was the first South American country to participate in Olympic football tournaments. They made their debut at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, where they defeated Switzerland 3–0 in the final, thereby securing what FIFA recognizes as the first world championship involving non-amateur players. Uruguay returned in 1928, this time alongside Argentina (the 1927 Copa América winners). Both teams reached the final; Uruguay won 2–1 in a replay after the initial match ended in a 1–1 draw. Expectations for the final were so high that reportedly over 500.000 ticket requests were received from across Europe.

The Uruguayan national team dazzled Europe with its Olympic performances, earning admiration and respect worldwide. These victories thrust South American football into the spotlight at a time when the continent was largely overlooked in international sports. The Olympic tournaments of 1924 and 1928 were the only ones officially recognized by FIFA as world championships. This is why Uruguay is permitted to display four stars on its football crest, despite having won the FIFA World Cup "only" twice (in 1930 and 1950). Regarding the continent's successes during this period, Uruguay won the 1926 Copa América in Chile. The team did not participate in the 1925 Copa América in Argentina (won by the hosts), finished second behind Argentina in 1927, and placed third in 1929.

4.) 1930 World Cup:

Uruguay proposed hosting the first FIFA World Cup in 1930, and FIFA awarded the country the hosting rights to commemorate the centenary of the Uruguayan Constitution, alongside its status as Olympic champions. This decision was met with disapproval in Europe; critics argued that the tournament should be held there — specifically in England, the birthplace of football and its subsequent development. Concerns were also raised regarding the long journey and the high cost of traveling to South America.

However, even though the Uruguayan government offered to cover all expenses, many European nations still refused to participate. FIFA dismissed these complaints, arguing that the continent was still recovering from the aftermath of World War I, whereas Uruguay was enjoying peace and economic stability. Consequently, the first World Cup was held in Uruguay.

The tournament's opening matches were France vs. Mexico and the United States vs. Belgium; both kicked off at 3:00 PM on July 13, 1930. In the France–Mexico match, Lucien Laurent scored in the 19th minute, netting the first goal in World Cup history.

Uruguay — considered the strongest team due to their Olympic titles in 1924 and 1928 — made their debut on July 18, 1930, at the new Estadio Centenario, facing Peru in front of a crowd of approximately 50.000 spectators. Despite a poor performance, Uruguay won 1–0 with a goal from Héctor Castro, drawing some criticism from the press. In their next match on July 21, 1930, Uruguay defeated Romania 4–0 with goals from Pablo Dorado, Héctor Scarone, Pedro Cea, and Santos Iriarte, advancing to the semi-finals.

There, "La Celeste" faced Yugoslavia (a nation that no longer exists) and secured a convincing 6–1 victory thanks to a hat-trick from Cea, a brace from Santos Anselmo, and a goal from Iriarte, thereby booking their place in the final.

In the final match, played on July 30, 1930, before a crowd of 70.000, Uruguay once again faced their great rivals, Argentina — who were also considered favorites. Tension was high leading up to the match; reports suggested that the Uruguayans had disrupted the Argentines' training sessions during the tournament. In the final itself, Dorado gave Uruguay the lead after 12 minutes, but Argentina responded with goals from Carlos Peucelle and Guillermo Stábile, taking a 2–1 lead into halftime. Uruguay came out determined in the second half: Cea equalized in the 57th minute, Iriarte put them ahead in the 68th minute, and Castro sealed the 4–2 victory in the 89th minute. With this result, Uruguay became the first-ever world champion and secured their third consecutive title.

5.) Between 1940 and 1970:

In the 1940s, Uruguay achieved early success — during a decade largely dominated by Argentina — by winning its eighth South American Championship in 1942. With the World Cup not being held, this tournament became the priority.

In 1950, Uruguay returned to the World Cup for the first time since 1930. This time, "La Celeste" was placed in a final group stage, where they drew 2–2 with Spain and defeated Sweden 3–2 before facing hosts Brazil in the decisive match. On July 16, 1950, Uruguay secured its second World Cup title by coming from behind to defeat Brazil 2–1 in an iconic match known as the "Maracanazo", played before a record crowd of 173.850 spectators. Historical estimates suggest the actual attendance exceeded 200.000. This achievement became an integral part of Uruguay's footballing identity and has served as an inspiration for aspiring footballers across generations.

The final against Brazil began as expected, with Brazil on the attack for most of the first half. Unlike Spain and Sweden, however, the Uruguayans successfully held their defensive line, and the first half ended in a goalless draw. Brazil scored the opening goal just two minutes after the break when São Paulo forward Friaça fired a low shot past goalkeeper Roque Máspoli. After the goal, Obdulio Varela took possession of the ball and challenged its validity with the referee, arguing that Friaça had been offside. Varela persisted with this argument, going so far as to demand that the referee hear him out with the help of an interpreter. By the time the conversation concluded, the crowd had quieted down. Varela then carried the ball to the center of the pitch and shouted to his team: "Now is the time to win!"

Uruguay managed to take control of the match. Faced with a skillful Uruguayan attack, Brazil’s defensive frailties were exposed, and Juan Alberto Schiaffino equalized in the 66th minute. Later, with just 11 minutes remaining, Alcides Ghiggia raced down the right flank and scored another goal with a low shot that slipped right under goalkeeper Moacir Barbosa — who, having anticipated a cross from Ghiggia's position, was a split-second too late in diving to stop the ball from rolling beneath him. The crowd fell virtually silent after Uruguay's second goal, and the match ended 2–1 in Uruguay's favor under English referee George Reader.

At the 1954 World Cup, Uruguay reached the semi-finals for the fourth time after defeating Czechoslovakia, Scotland, and England. Their semi-final match against Hungary is considered one of the greatest games in World Cup history, as "La Celeste" staged a dramatic comeback to level the score at 2–2 after trailing 2–0 at half-time. Uruguay ultimately lost 4–2 in extra time — marking their first-ever defeat on the global stage and ending a 30-year unbeaten run that had begun in 1924. Subsequently, Uruguay failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time during the 1958 CONMEBOL qualifiers, following a 5–0 loss to Paraguay in Asunción. From then on, Uruguay maintained a competitive squad throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, featuring players from Nacional and Peñarol who won multiple continental and world club titles during that era. Uruguay performed relatively poorly at the 1962 World Cup, exiting in the group stage following a dramatic final match against the Soviet Union. Four years later, in 1966, Uruguay reached the quarter-finals; however, a controversial defeat to West Germany overshadowed a campaign otherwise viewed positively. At the end of the decade, in 1967, "La Celeste" secured their 11th Copa América title by defeating Argentina 1–0 in Montevideo.

6.) Between 1970-1990:

In 1970, Uruguay reached the World Cup semi-finals in Mexico, where they were defeated by the eventual champions, Brazil. They were eliminated in the group stage of the 1974 World Cup and failed to qualify for the 1978 tournament, which was held in neighboring Argentina. Uruguayan football subsequently experienced a resurgence; the U-20 team won four consecutive South American titles between 1975 and 1981 and reached the semi-finals of the 1979 U-20 World Cup. The success of this young generation bore fruit in the 1980s, beginning with Uruguay's victory in the 1980 Mundialito — a tournament featuring various World Cup-winning nations, held to commemorate the competition's 50th anniversary. Subsequently, "La Celeste" won the Copa América in both 1983 and 1987, before losing 1–0 to hosts Brazil in the 1989 final. After failing to qualify for the 1982 World Cup, Uruguay was eliminated in the Round of 16 at the 1986 tournament by eventual champions Argentina, following a group stage campaign that included matches against West Germany, Denmark, and Scotland.

7.) Between 1990-2010:

At the 1990 World Cup in Italy, Uruguay lost 2–0 to the hosts, Italy, in the Round of 16 in Rome. Subsequently, Uruguay failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup after losing 2–0 to eventual champions Brazil at the Maracanã Stadium during the qualifiers. "La Celeste" then defeated the world champions to win the 1995 Copa América in Montevideo. Later, Uruguay also missed out on the 1998 World Cup, finishing seventh in their qualifying group.

During the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Uruguay reached the final play-off against Australia; they won the tie, thereby securing their place at the World Cup. "La Celeste" won the match against the Australians 3–0 in Montevideo, qualifying for the tournament for the first time since 1990. At the World Cup, Uruguay was eliminated in a tight contest during their final group match against Senegal; despite trailing 3–0 at halftime, they fought back to secure a 3–3 draw, though it was not enough to advance.

In the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, they were once again forced into an intercontinental play-off against Australia. This time, "La Celeste" was eliminated on penalties in Sydney. This defeat led to a major shift in direction, marked by the appointment of Óscar Tabárez as manager. Subsequently, Uruguay reached the semi-finals of the 2007 Copa América and successfully qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

8.) From 2010:

In 2010, a new generation of footballers — led by Luis Suárez, Diego Forlán, and Edinson Cavani — formed a team that finished fourth at the World Cup. Uruguay began the tournament with a goalless draw against France, followed by victories over South Africa (3–0) and Mexico (1–0), topping their group with 7 points. In the Round of 16, they defeated South Korea 2–1; thanks to a brace from Suárez, Uruguay secured a spot in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1970. The match against Ghana ended 1–1, forcing the game into extra time. Both teams had chances during extra time, but Suárez blocked the ball with his hand inside the penalty area, earning a red card. Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty, sending the match to a shootout, where Uruguay won 4–2 to advance to the semi-finals. They faced the Netherlands in the semi-final but lost 3–2. In the third-place play-off against Germany, they lost 3–2 once again. Uruguay thus finished fourth in the tournament — their best result in 40 years — and Forlán was named the tournament's best player.

A year later, they won the Copa América for the first time in 16 years, breaking the record for the most successful team in South America. Luis Suárez was ultimately named Player of the Tournament.

At the 2014 World Cup, Uruguay was drawn into Group D alongside Costa Rica, England, and Italy. In their opening match, they were surprised by Costa Rica, losing 3–1 despite having taken the lead in the first half. They went on to defeat England 2–1 — with Suárez scoring twice immediately after returning from injury — and then beat Italy 1–0, finishing second in their group and advancing to the Round of 16. During the match against Italy, striker Luis Suárez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on the left shoulder. Two days later, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee banned Suárez for nine matches — the longest such suspension in World Cup history, surpassing the eight-match ban handed to Italy's Mauro Tassotti in 1994 for breaking the nose of Spain's Luis Enrique. Additionally, Suárez was banned from all football-related activities (including entering stadiums) for four months and fined 100,000 Swiss francs. In the Round of 16, Uruguay faced Colombia but lost 2–0, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.

In the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Copa América, Uruguay — missing suspended striker Luis Suárez — was eliminated in the quarter-finals and the group stage, respectively. Uruguay subsequently finished second in the qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. At the tournament, they won their group after securing three victories and advanced to the quarter-finals following a 2–1 win over Portugal. However, they lost 2–0 in the quarter-finals to the eventual champions, France.

At the 2022 World Cup, Uruguay was drawn into Group H alongside Portugal, Ghana, and South Korea. They opened the tournament with a 0–0 draw against South Korea before suffering a 2–0 defeat to Portugal. Despite beating Ghana 2–0 in their final group match, Uruguay was eliminated in the group stage for the first time since 2002, losing out on goal difference following South Korea's surprise 2–1 victory over Portugal.

9.) Kits and Badge:

Between 1901 and 1910, Uruguay wore various jerseys for its matches. The first jersey worn was that of Albion FC, used during the national team's unofficial debut against Argentina in 1901. This was followed by several other designs, including a solid green jersey and even one featuring the colors of the Artigas flag.

On April 10, 1910, the now-defunct River Plate club defeated the Argentine team Alumni 2–1. For that match, River Plate wore a light blue jersey because their home kit was similar to Alumni's. Ricardo LeBas proposed that Uruguay wear a light blue jersey to honor River Plate's victory over Alumni. This proposal was approved by Héctor Gómez, the president of the Uruguayan Football Association. The light blue ("Celeste") jersey made its debut on August 15, 1910, in a Copa Lipton match against Argentina. The red jersey — previously used as an away kit — was first employed at the 1935 South American Championship held in Santa Beatriz, Peru, a tournament Uruguay won. It was not worn again until 1991 (with the exception of a 1962 World Cup match against Colombia), when it was officially adopted as the away jersey.

Uruguay displays four stars on its emblem. This is unique in world football, as two of the stars represent the gold medals won at the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics — the only editions recognized by FIFA as senior world championships. In 2021, after a FIFA official contacted PUMA regarding the modification of the team's crest, FIFA once again confirmed and approved the use of all four stars on the jersey.

10.) Stadium:

Since 1930, Uruguay has played its home matches at the Estadio Centenario in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo. The stadium was built to commemorate the centenary of Uruguay's first constitution and had a capacity of 90.000 upon its full opening. It hosted numerous matches during the 1930 World Cup, including the final, which was watched by a crowd of 93.000.

V. HISTORY OF THE CLUB:

1.) In general:

Club Atlético Peñarol, better known simply as Peñarol, is a professional Uruguayan football club based in Montevideo. The club currently competes in the Uruguayan Primera División, the top tier of Uruguayan football.

The club takes its name from a neighborhood on the outskirts of Montevideo, which itself was named after Pinerolo, a town in the Turin metropolitan area of ​​Italy's Piemont region. The club's origins date back to September 28, 1891, when it was founded — primarily by British railway workers — as the Central Uruguay Railway Cricket Club (CURCC) for the purpose of playing cricket. It was renamed Peñarol on December 13, 1913. The question of continuity between CURCC and Peñarol's football section has sparked significant debate in Uruguayan football; some experts argue that while Peñarol inherited CURCC's traditions and shares a sociological continuity with it, they are legally distinct entities, given that CURCC supposedly existed until its dissolution on January 22, 1915 — albeit as a recreational branch for railway employees at that time. However, the Uruguayan Football Association has recognized Peñarol as the continuation of CURCC since 1914.

By the 1910s, Peñarol was beginning to establish itself as a promising club in both the domestic and international football arenas. The inauguration of the 1930 FIFA World Cup helped boost the profile of Uruguayan football — and Peñarol in particular — with several team members hailing from the club's own youth ranks. The early 1940s ushered in a "Golden Generation" for Peñarol; over the subsequent four decades, the club won numerous international tournaments led by generational talents such as Diego Aguirre, Néstor Gonçalves, Fernando Morena, Juan Alberto Schiaffino, Ladislao Mazurkiewicz, and Alberto Spencer. By the 1990s, however, Peñarol's form had begun to decline, resulting in fewer domestic and international titles compared to previous decades. Nevertheless, the club has experienced a resurgence in international competitions since the 2010s.

Although CURCC's original colors were black and orange, throughout its history Peñarol has consistently identified with yellow and black — colors inspired by “Stephenson's Rocket” and the railway workers' union. Over the years, the club has participated in other sports such as athletics, basketball, cycling, futsal, rugby union, and women's football. However, its primary focus has always been men's football, a sport in which the club excels. Since 2016, the club has played its matches at the 40.000-seat Estadio Campeón del Siglo; prior to that, it played at the Estadio Centenario from 1933 onwards. Peñarol currently has 80.000 members.

Peñarol is considered one of the most prestigious football clubs in the sport. In September 2009, the IFFHS recognized the club as the best South American club of the 20th century. In international competition, Peñarol ranks third in terms of Copa Libertadores titles, having won the trophy five times (1960, 1961, 1966, 1982, 1987), and shares the record for Intercontinental Cup victories with three wins (1961, 1966, 1982).

In domestic football, Peñarol has won 42 tournaments in its own right, and a total of 51 championships when including titles won by its predecessor. The club has never been relegated and has several long-standing rivals, the most significant being the “El Clásico Uruguayo” against Club Nacional de Football. The derby is considered one of the oldest rivalries in international football; their first meeting took place on July 15, 1900, resulting in a 2–0 victory for Peñarol. Since then, they have faced each other more than 500 times. As of 2024, Peñarol leads the head-to-head record.

2.) Origins:

On September 28, 1891, employees of the Central Uruguay Railway Company founded the Central Uruguay Railway Cricket Club (CURCC) in Montevideo with the aim of promoting the practice of cricket, rugby, and "other men's sports".

The Central Uruguay Railway Company had been operating in Uruguay since 1878 with a workforce of 118 employees, comprising 72 Britons, 45 Uruguayans, and 1 German. The club was known as CURCC in the Peñarol area — the latter name originating from the Peñarol district located approximately 10 kilometers from Montevideo, which itself took its name from an Italian city. The club's first president was Frank Henderson, who held the position until 1899.

In 1892, CURCC shifted its focus from cricket and rugby to football. The football club played its first match against a team of students from the English high school, resulting in a 2–0 victory. In 1895, Uruguayan footballer JulioNegrón was elected as the team's first non-British captain.

3.) Early successes:

In 1900, CURCC was one of the four founding members of the Uruguayan Football League; it made its official competitive debut on June10, 1900, against Albion, winning 2–1. The club won its first Uruguayan championship that year — a feat it repeated in 1901, 1905, and 1907. In 1906, Charles W. Bayne took over the railway company and refused to sponsor the football team due to financial and labor-related concerns. The conflict between the company and the football club eventually led to a severance of their relationship in 1913.

In 1908, the club withdrew from the Uruguayan championship after the league rejected its request to replay a match against FC Dublin. CURCC had lost 2–3 away and believed that its poor performance was caused by refereeing errors resulting from pressure exerted by angry home fans. As a gesture of good faith, Nacional also withdrew from the championship, as both teams agreed that "Los partidos se ganan en la cancha" — meaning "matches are won on the pitch." The following year, after returning to the competition, relations between the railway company and the club turned frosty after fans set fire to a railway carriage used by rival teams.

A year after the club won the Uruguayan championship in 1911, it attempted to reform its policies. Proposals included greater participation by non-CUR players and a name change to "CURCC Peñarol." These proposals were rejected in June 1913, as the company sought to distance itself from the club's local reputation. The railway company decided to separate the team's football division from the corporation on Saturday, December 13, 1913; this marked the founding of Peñarol. The following day, the first official "El Clásico" match between Nacional and Peñarol took place. CURCC continued to play football on an amateur basis until its dissolution on January 22, 1915, donating all its trophies to the British Hospital in Montevideo rather than to Peñarol.

4.) C.A. Penarol:

On March 12, 1914, Peñarol took over CURCC's place in the Uruguayan Football League following its establishment in 1913. Two days later, they submitted a formal request to the league, which was approved the following day. Peñarol did not enjoy immediate success, although a new stadium, Las Acacias, opened on May 19, 1916. The club went on to win its first two league titles in 1918 and 1920.

In November 1922, the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol (AUF) expelled Peñarol because the club had played an exhibition match against Racing — an Argentine club affiliated with the Asociación Amateurs de Football, a dissident organization formed in 1919 that rivaled the official body, the AFA. Peñarol and other clubs subsequently organized a new league, the Uruguayan Football Federation (FUF), and the club won the 1924 championship. This league was short-lived. Peñarol won the 1926 Copa del Consejo Provisorio, a victory that paved the way for the merger of the AUF and the FUF.

5.) First European tour:

In 1927, Peñarol toured Europe for the first time, playing a total of 19 matches against German, Swiss, Austrian, Spanish, Czechoslovak, and French teams. The tour lasted from April to June. The opening match was played against a team from Vienna, which Peñarol lost 3–1. The Uruguayan side subsequently played against Bayern Munich (1–2), SpVgg (1–2), and Hertha BSC (0–1). They secured their first victory against Eintracht Frankfurt (3–1); the starting lineup for this match consisted of Luis Biscardi, Demis D’Agosto, José Benincasa, Pascual Ruotta, Gildeón Silva, Antonio Aguerre, Ladislao Pérez, Antonio Sacco, Pablo Terevinto, Peregrín Anselmo, and Antonio Campolo. The goals were scored by Suffiotti (2) and Ruotta. The tour continued in Switzerland with matches against Young Fellows (1–0) and Rapid Vienna (0–5), followed by a game against Sparta Prague (a 1–0 loss).

On June 5, 1927, Peñarol played its first match in Spain against FC Barcelona, ​​losing 1–5. A second match was played a day later, ending in a 1–1 draw. Other notable matches on the tour included two games against Atlético Madrid (5–2 and 4–3). Peñarol played a total of 19 matches over 80 days (6 in Spain, 5 in Germany, 4 in Switzerland, and 1 each in Czechoslovakia and France), recording 7 wins, 4 draws, and 8 losses. The team scored 32 goals and conceded 33, with Antonio Sacco finishing as the top scorer with 9 goals. Following its first European tour in 1927, Peñarol won the Uruguayan championship in 1928 and 1929; the following year, the club defeated Olimpia 1–0 in its first match at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo.

6.) Consolidation:

In 1932, Peñarol and River Plate played the first match of the professional era. Peñarol won the inaugural Uruguayan Professional Championship with 40 points — five more than the runners-up, Rampla Juniors. After finishing second in 1933 and 1934, the club won four consecutive league titles between 1935 and 1938; they also won the Torneo Competencia in 1936.

The club remained in second place until 1944, when Peñarol once again won the Uruguayan championship (defeating Nacional in a two-legged final, 0–0 and 3–2). In 1945, the club retained the title, with Nicolás Falero and Raúl Schiaffino finishing as the top scorers with 21 goals each. Peñarol triumphed again in 1949, finishing four points ahead of runners-up Nacional, with Óscar Míguez emerging as the top scorer.

After finishing as runners-up in 1950, Peñarol won the Uruguayan championship the following year; this also marked the beginning of the four-year construction of the Palacio Peñarol. During the 1950s, the club also won national championships in 1953, 1954, 1958, and 1959.

7.) International successes:

Their 1959 league title qualified Peñarol for the newly established Copa Libertadores, an international competition then known as the Copa de Campeones de América. Peñarol won the first two tournaments, defeating Paraguay's Olimpia in 1960 and Brazil's Palmeiras in 1961. That same year, the club won its first Intercontinental Cup, defeating Portugal's Benfica 2–1 in the third match. Peñarol won three additional league titles (1960, 1961, and 1962), securing five consecutive championships. Béla Guttmann served as the team's coach in 1962.

After a quiet 1963, Peñarol won the Uruguayan championship in 1964 and 1965, as well as the Copa Libertadores in 1966, defeating River Plate 4–2. That year, the club won its second Intercontinental Cup, beating Real Madrid 2–0 across matches at the Centenario Stadium and the Santiago Bernabéu. Over the next few years, the club won national championships in 1967 and 1968, and the Intercontinental Supercup in 1969 (a tournament featuring South American Intercontinental Cup winners). Peñarol held the longest unbeaten streak in the history of the Uruguayan championship: 56 matches, spanning from September 3, 1966, to September 14, 1968. Alberto Spencer, the all-time top scorer of the Copa Libertadores, played for Peñarol during this period.

In 1970, the club once again reached the Libertadores final, where they were defeated by Estudiantes de La Plata. The club set a tournament record for the largest margin of victory by beating the Venezuelan side Valencia 11–2. Led by star player Fernando Morena, the club won the Uruguayan championship for three consecutive years, from 1973 to 1975. After finishing as runners-up in 1976 and 1977, Peñarol triumphed again in 1978. That year, Morena set two records: the most goals in a single Uruguayan season (36) and the most goals in a single match (seven, against Huracán Buceo on July 16). The 1970s concluded with another championship title in 1979. Morena was the top scorer of the Uruguayan league six times in a row and the top scorer of the Copa Libertadores in 1974 and 1975.

After starting the 1980s with a third-place finish in 1981, Peñarol won the Uruguayan championship with Fernando Morena and Rubén Paz (the league's top scorer). The following season, the club won the Copa Libertadores again, defeating the Chilean side Cobreloa 1–0 thanks to a goal scored in the final minutes of the match by Fernando Morena (who was the tournament's top scorer with seven goals). Later that same year, the club won the Uruguayan championship and its third Intercontinental Cup, defeating Aston Villa 2–0.

Despite financial difficulties in the 1980s, Peñarol won the national championship in 1985 and 1986, and secured their fifth Copa Libertadores title in 1987. The club defeated América de Cali 1–0 thanks to a goal scored by Diego Aguirre in the final seconds of extra time — a moment that prevented the Colombians from winning on goal difference. This marked Peñarol's third Copa Libertadores victory, following their triumphs in 1966 and 1982.

Peñarol celebrated its centenary in 1991, despite a dispute raised by its arch-rival, Nacional, regarding the club's 1913 name change. With Pablo Bengoechea and a young AntonioPacheco in the squad, and Gregorio Pérez at the helm, Peñarol once again won the Uruguayan championship five times in a row (1993–1997). The club reached the Copa Conmebol final in both 1994 and 1995, and closed out the century in 1999 with a national championship title (defeating Nacional 2–1 in the final, under the management of Julio Ribas).

The following year, Peñarol lost the Uruguayan championship final to Nacional. Peñarol won the national championship again in 2003 under the guidance of Diego Aguirre, defeating Nacional in the final. The club did not secure another national title until the 2009–2010 season, when they won the Clausura tournament with 14 victories in 15 matches (including 12 consecutive wins). In the Clausura final, Peñarol defeated Nacional 2–1. This championship victory qualified the team for the 2011 Copa Libertadores, where Peñarol reached the final against Santos.

8.) Badge and colors:

Throughout the club's history, its symbols have undergone minor changes, yet it has retained its original colors. The shield and flag were designed by architect Constante Facello and consist of five black stripes, four yellow stripes, and 11 yellow stars on a black background (symbolizing the 11 players). Yellow and black have been Peñarol's colors since its inception; these colors were inspired by the “Rocket” locomotive — designed by George Stephenson — which won an award in 1829. The initial kit was a simple shirt divided into four square sections that alternated between black and yellow. One version featured two vertical halves (black on the right and black-and-yellow striped on the left), paired with black shorts and socks. Peñarol's official kit (black and yellow stripes) dates back to 1911 and has been worn almost continuously, with only minor variations.

Peñarol inspired the Romanian club FC Brașov to change its official colors from blue and white to yellow and black in 1966. This change followed a tournament in Uruguay played by the Romanian Olympic football team. After a match against Peñarol, FC Brașov player Csaba Györffy received the jersey worn by Peñarol captain Alberto Spencer. Györffy was impressed by the combination of yellow and black stripes and decided to wear that jersey during team training sessions after returning home. Coach Silviu Ploeşteanu decided to change the club's colors, believing that the team would be more visible on the pitch in the new colors. Since 1967, the official colors of the Brașov team have been yellow and black, reminiscent of Peñarol.

9.) Infrastructure:

Peñarol's first stadium was the José Pedro Damiani, also known as Las Acacias. It was purchased in 1913 and inaugurated on April 19, 1916, with a 3–1 victory over Nacional. The stadium's gate came from the former Estadio Pocitos — Peñarol's original home ground — where the first goal in the history of the FIFA World Cup was scored in 1930.

The stadium is located in the Marconi neighborhood of Montevideo. It features a pitch area of ​​37.949 square meters and a capacity of 12.000 spectators. Because Peñarol was unable to play there due to safety concerns, the club's home ground became the city-owned Estadio Centenario. Opened on July 18, 1930, the Centenario is located in Parque Batlle and has a capacity of 65.235. Las Acacias served as the home ground for all of Peñarol's youth teams.

On September 28, 2012, the club proposed a 40.000-seat stadium in the suburbs of Montevideo, approximately 7 kilometers from Carrasco International Airport. Their newest stadium is named “Campeón del Siglo”; it opened in March 2016 and has served as their home ground ever since.

Located in downtown Montevideo, the “Palacio Peñarol” serves as the club's headquarters and basketball arena. Opened on June 21, 1955, it covers an area of ​​3.896 square meters. In addition to basketball, it houses the club's museum and offices. Following the collapse of the “Cilindro Municipal” in October 2010, the “Palacio Peñarol” became a key venue for Uruguayan basketball. The “Complejo Deportivo Washington Cataldi” — better known as “Los Aromos” — is the training ground for the first team. Located in Villa Los Aromos, Barros Blancos (in the Canelones Department), the “Los Aromos” site was purchased in 1945; the facility was built over the course of two years under the direction of architect José Donato.

The “Centro de Alto Rendimiento” (High-Performance Center) was inaugurated to mark the club's 118th anniversary. Opened on September 28, 2009, the new facility comprises five football pitches, a weight room, and an indoor hall with an artificial turf surface. The Frank Henderson School — named after the club's first president — is located a few kilometers from the “Centro de Alto Rendimiento”. It was built to foster the development of the club's young players and provides accommodation for those arriving from other regions.

10.) Fans:

In Uruguayan football, loyalty to either Peñarol or Nacional divides the country. The clubs are evenly matched and boast large fanbases. Numerous polls have been conducted, yet none have been conclusive. In 1993, the consultancy firm Factum reported that Peñarol was the favorite team of 41 percent of football fans, while 38 percent supported Nacional. Factum conducted another survey in 2006, confirming its earlier findings: Peñarol at 45 percent and Nacional at 35 percent.

MPC Consultants surveyed 9.000 Uruguayan residents; Peñarol held 45 percent of the fan base, and Nacional 38 percent. An online poll conducted by the website Sportsvs.com showed Nacional at 50,35 percent and Peñarol at 49,45 percent.

Since its formation, Peñarol's “Barra Brava” (organized fan group) has been involved in violence against other clubs and the Uruguayan police. Incidents provoked by fans have cost Peñarol a total of 31 points since 1994. These penalties affected the team's participation in three tournaments (Apertura 1994, Clausura 1997, and Clausura 2002).

In 2010, the club attempted to expand its fan base to improve its sustainability. During the 2010 Clausura, they offered promotions, hired marketing managers, and encouraged the formation of “peñas” (local supporters' clubs). The campaign was successful: by February 2013, the club had over 62.000 members, making it the largest supporters' club in Uruguay.

The Uruguayan derby between Peñarol and Nacional dates back to 1900, making it the oldest football rivalry outside the British Isles. The first match between Nacional and CURCC took place on July 15, 1900, ending in a 2–0 victory for CURCC. CURCC held the lead initially, but Nacional caught up in the late 1910s. By 1948, Nacional held a 14-match lead, an advantage they maintained until the late 1970s (with the exception of a brief period in 1968). Since then, Peñarol has held the lead; their longest advantage was 26 matches, recorded in January 2004. 

Including both the amateur and professional eras, as well as league and friendly matches, the teams have met 511 times: 

• Peñarol has won 182 matches,
• Nacional has won 166 matches,
• 163 matches have ended in a draw.

A remarkable match for Peñarol fans took place on October 9, 1949, during the first round of the Uruguayan Cup — a game known as the “Clásico de la fuga” (the "Escape Derby"). Peñarol was leading 2–0 at the end of the first half, but Nacional decided not to return for the second. While Peñarol supporters believe Nacional wanted to avoid defeat at the hands of the Peñarol squad known as the “Máquina del 49” ("Machine of '49"), Nacional fans claim the move was a protest against poor officiating.

On April 23, 1987, a friendly match between Peñarol and Nacional was tied at 1–1 with 22 minutes remaining when three Peñarol players (José Perdomo, José Herrera, and Ricardo Viera) were sent off following a foul and the ensuing protests. Peñarol then had to face the full Nacional squad with only eight players on the pitch. Eight minutes before the end, Diego Aguirre crossed the ball to Jorge Cabrera, who scored the winning goal. The “aurinegros” dubbed this victory the “Clásico de los 8 contra 11” (the "8-against-11 derby").

Peñarol and Nacional have faced each other 13 times in the Uruguayan championship final, with Peñarol winning on eight occasions. The most recent encounter was in 2018, when Peñarol won the championship 2–1.

In early October 2011, the documentary “Manyas: The Movie”, which focuses on Peñarol fans, premiered in Uruguay. Produced by Kafka Films and Sacromonte and directed by Andrés Benvenuto, the film features interviews with fans, football journalists, psychologists, and politicians. “Manyas: The Movie” was designated as being of cultural interest by the Uruguayan Ministry of Education and Culture and of ministerial importance by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport. The film’s premiere was the most successful among Uruguayan films, selling 13.000 tickets in the opening weekend and 30.000 within the first 15 days. After raising $35.000 through raffles and donations, Peñarol fans unveiled the largest flag ever displayed in the stadium on April 12, 2011. Years later, Nacional unfurled an even larger one that covered three of the stadium's stands. Measuring 309 meters in length and 46 meters in width—with a surface area of ​​14.124 square meters — the flag covered one and a half stands at the Centenario Stadium. In 2013, Club Nacional de Football displayed a flag measuring 600 meters by 50 meters. It is currently the largest flag in the world.

11.) Famous players:

Néstor Gonçalves holds the record for the most official matches played in the club's history (571 matches) between April 28, 1957, and November 28, 1970. The team's all-time top scorers in the Primera División are Fernando Morena (203), Alberto Spencer (113), and Óscar Míguez (107). Morena — whose total of 230 goals (203 with Peñarol and 27 with River Plate) makes him the Uruguayan League's highest-scoring player — also holds the record for the most goals scored for Peñarol (440). He scored the most goals in a single Uruguayan season (36 in 1978) and is the club's second-highest scorer in international competitions with 37 goals (behind Alberto Spencer, who scored 58 goals between 1960 and 1970). Spencer and Morena are among the top scorers in the history of the Copa Libertadores, having scored 48 and 37 goals respectively for Peñarol.

Peñarol has made a significant contribution to the Uruguayan national football team. Three Peñarol players were part of the Uruguayan squad that played against Argentina in 1905. Five Peñarol players featured in the Uruguayan team that won the 1930 FIFA World Cup: goalkeeper Miguel Capuccini, defender Peregrino Anselmo, and midfielders Lorenzo Fernández, Álvaro Gestido, and Carlos Riolfo. Nine Peñarol players were part of the Uruguayan squad that won the 1950 World Cup: goalkeeper Roque Máspoli; defenders Juan Carlos González and Washington Ortuño; midfielders Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Obdulio Varela; and forwards Ernesto Vidal, Julio César Britos, and Óscar Míguez. Schiaffino and Ghiggia scored the team's two goals in the “Maracanazo” — the decisive final match against Brazil. Peñarol is the only club to have represented Uruguay in every one of its World Cup appearances.

12.) Managers:

Although precise data regarding managers from the amateur era of Uruguayan football is unavailable, Peñarol has had a total of 63 coaches during its professional era. The first manager was Leonardo de Luca, who coached the team for two years and won the Uruguayan championship in 1932 (the first professional tournament in Uruguay).

Of these 63 managers:

• 53 were uruguayan;
• 2 were hungarian (Imre Hirschl and Béla Guttmann),
• 2 were english (John Harley and Randolph Galloway),
• 2 were argentinen (Jorge Kistenmacher and César Luis Menotti)
• 2 were brazilian (Osvaldo Brandão and Dino Sani)
• 1 was serbian (Ljupko Petrović),
• 1 was chilean (Mario Tuane).

Hugo Bagnulo and Gregorio Pérez coached Peñarol for the longest periods, each leading the first team for eight seasons — Bagnulo across four separate stints and Pérez across five. Athuel Velásquez held the record for the longest uninterrupted tenure at Peñarol (five consecutive years between 1935 and 1940). Bagnulo holds the record for the most Uruguayan championship titles (five), followed by Pérez and Velásquez with four each. In international competitions, Roberto Scarone was the most successful manager, winning two Copa Libertadores titles and one Intercontinental Cup with the team.

VI. URUGUAYAN CHAMPIONSHIP

The Liga AUF Uruguaya — also known as the Liga Profesional de Primera División and, for sponsorship reasons, the "Torneo Uruguayo Copa Coca-Cola" — is Uruguay's top professional football league, organized by the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF). The inaugural championship took place in 1900; it remained an amateur competition until 1932, when the league turned professional. Between 1900 and 2024, 121 top-flight seasons were held. In 2011, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) ranked the Uruguayan Primera División as the 23rd toughest football league in the world for the 21st century. Peñarol is the most successful Uruguayan club, with 52 league titles, followed by Nacional with 50.

1.) History:

The Uruguayan Primera División was first held in 1900. Between 1923 and 1925, during a schism in Uruguayan football, a breakaway league known as the “Federación Uruguaya de Football” (FUF) was formed. This organization operated alongside the official association (AUF). After the Uruguayan government intervened to dissolve the FUF, a Provisional Council organized a championship in 1926 aimed at reuniting the two organizations; Peñarol won the tournament's Serie A. However, neither the AUF nor FIFA recognized the titles from championships organized by the FUF or the Provisional Council.

Between 1930 and 1975, either Nacional or Peñarol won every title. This streak was finally broken when Defensor Sporting won its first title in 1976. Apart from Nacional and Peñarol, no other club has won consecutive titles. Both Peñarol (from 1958 to 1962 and 1993 to 1997) and Nacional (from 1939 to 1943) hold the record for winning five consecutive titles. The longest period during which neither Peñarol nor Nacional won the title occurred between 1987 and 1991, when Defensor Sporting, Danubio, Progreso, Bella Vista, and Defensor Sporting (again) won the five championships played during that time. After 1994, the competition was split into two stages—the opening championship (Torneo Apertura) and the closing championship (Torneo Clausura)—with a two-legged final held at the end of the season between the winners of these two tournaments. Originally, like other South American football leagues, the championship followed the calendar year. In 2005, the league adopted the "European season" format — running from summer to summer — to prevent clubs from losing numerous players mid-season. A special short season was held in the first half of 2005 to determine qualification for international competitions. During the 2005–2006 season, the winners of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments played a two- (or three-) stage playoff; the winner of this playoff then faced the top team from the overall standings to decide the champion for the 2005–2006 season.

In the 2006–2007 season, the league was reduced to 16 clubs. The 2008–2009 season was intended to be the last under the "European season" format, as the system appeared unable to prevent clubs from losing players between the Apertura (opening) and Clausura (closing) tournaments. However, the transition period lasted several years. Following the regular 2015–2016 season, a short 2016 season was played in the second half of the year, and from the 2017 season onwards, the full calendar-year system was reinstated.A total of 60 teams have participated in the Primera División since its inception in 1900. 

Nacional has played the most seasons, followed by Peñarol. Peñarol and Nacional are the only two teams that have never been relegated from the Primera 

División. Among the so-called "smaller" clubs, Montevideo Wanderers holds the record for the most seasons played.

2.) Most successful clubs:

As of the end of 2025, the following ranking has emerged among the teams participating in the championship regarding the league titles won:

3.) Championship format and rules:

The championship (Primera División / Liga AUF Uruguaya) operates under a unique format consisting of three stages:1.) Apertura,2.) Torneo Intermedio,3.) Clausura.The 16-team field plays full rounds of matches, and the final champion is determined by the playoffs.

Apertura:

A separate championship held in the first half of the year. It is a 15-round stage (where everyone plays everyone else once). The winner automatically qualifies for the end-of-season championship playoffs.

Torneo Intermedio:

It takes place between the Apertura and the Clausura and consists of just 7 rounds. The teams are divided into two groups of eight (based on the odd and even finishing positions from the Apertura). The two group winners play a final against each other, with the winner receiving a trophy and a berth in an nternational cup competition.

Clausura:

A separate championship held in the second half of the year. It is a 15-round stage (where every team plays every other team once) — with the home/away advantage reversed compared to the Apertura stage. The winner automatically qualifies for the season-ending championship playoffs.

Overall standings (Tabla Anual):

 The teams' annual ranking after 37 rounds is determined by the combined points from the three stages (Apertura / Torneo Intermedio / Clausura). The winner of the overall standings secures a seeded position in the playoffs.

The championship final (Playoff):

The semi-final is contested by the winners of the Apertura and Clausura. The winner of this tie faces the winner of the overall standings (Tabla Anual) in the final to decide the championship title. (Exception: If the winner of the overall standings also wins the Apertura or the Clausura — or both — they automatically qualify for the final championship title or the final match.)

VII. THE BEGINNING OF THE CAREER

After presenting the general information and the club's background, I dove right into the career.

Basic data, rules:

I started the game with an extra-large database; a total of 141.000 players were loaded using the 24.3.0 database. I loaded all South American leagues and disabled the use of the In-Game Editor.

Among South American national teams, Uruguay ranks third, behind Argentina and Brazil. The Uruguayan league was ranked sixth among South American leagues; to my surprise, the Colombian, Paraguayan, and Ecuadorian leagues were ranked higher. A total of eight teams from the domestic league qualify for international competitions: 

• 4 participate in the Copa Libertadores,
• 4 compete in the Copa Sudamericana.

Before the season, the media predicted the club would finish in fourth place in their season preview. Surprisingly, the team didn't have a single season-ticket holder, though at least 417.100 fans followed its social media channels. This year, the team will compete in the Copa Sudamericana — the international tournament on the schedule — where I aim to advance as far as possible and secure substantial prize money, as the club is in desperate need of a financial boost.

The club boasted excellent infrastructure; alongside the 40.000-seat stadium, I had at my disposal:

• a training center rated 11,
• a youth academy rated 16,
• ratings of 14 for youth training
• 15 for youth recruitment.

Successes to date:

The club boasts an astonishing number of trophies, having secured a total of 73 titles throughout its history.

On the domestic stage, it has won 65 trophies:

• 51 league titles,
• 12 La Liguilla Pre-Libertadores titles,
• 2 Uruguayan Super Cups.

Internationally, it holds 8 trophies:

• 5 Copa Libertadores titles
• 3 Intercontinental Cups

The club and has appeared in international cup finals on 11 occasions.

Over the past three-plus decades, the club has played a pivotal role in the championship, consistently finishing on the podium with only a few exceptions.

Finances:

The club is in a very precarious financial position — even by South American standards — with only €792.166 available in the coffers at the start. Of this amount, the board allocated just €32.670 for transfers. Our initial weekly wage budget was €112.170. With €110.342 already committed to the existing squad's salaries, I had a mere €1.828 of disposable wage budget at my disposal. The board also allocated only €116.657 annually for scouting.

I encountered the most unpleasant surprise when I reviewed the sponsorship funds, as that was when I discovered the club had absolutely no sponsorship revenue…

In contrast, there were substantial debts. Overall, we had a net debt of €9.403.334, and when factoring in transfers, the club was €2.040.892 in the red. In total, the club held bank loans amounting to €12.250.000, which must be repaid by 2032 in monthly installments of €100.000.

After reviewing the finances, it became clear that I would not really be able to make any signings from the current budget, so I would have to prioritize preparing for future transfers.

Expectations:

The board generally expected me to enhance the club's reputation and set a clear objective for me to field players promoted from the youth academy in the first team. Additionally, regarding contracts, they stipulated that offers for players over the age of 32 should be limited to a maximum one-year extension. Financially, the only requirement was to keep wages within the current budget.

The club's management set very high expectations for the various competitions:

• Liga Profesional: League title
• Copa Uruguay: Reach the semi-finals
• Copa Sudamericana: Advance from the group stage

After reviewing the expectations and available resources, I determined that my primary goal is to finish the league season in a position that secures a spot in the Copa Libertadores, while also advancing as far as possible in the Copa Sudamericana. The Copa Libertadores takes precedence because participating in that competition offers prize money roughly three times higher.

Modification of expectations:

To gain a bit more leeway compared to my current situation, I needed to review and adjust the expectations so I could start the job with slightly better finances. There wasn't much room to raise the stakes in the league, given that anything less than the championship title was already considered unacceptable. In my first year, lacking detailed knowledge of the international field, I didn't dare set higher goals for the Copa Sudamericana; consequently, the only real opportunity to adjust expectations lay with the domestic cup competition. The target set for that tournament was reaching the semi-finals, but I pledged to reach the final instead.

As a result, the financial budgets were increased slightly:

• my transfer budget rose from €32.670 to €33.909
• my wage budget rose from €112.170 to €114.104
• my available wage budget thus increased from €1.828 to €3.762

Obviously, this wasn’t a huge help, but in this situation, it was help nonetheless. I mentioned in the introduction that here, you have to bend down to the ground for every single cent…

VIII. MEET THE SQUAD:

Upon reviewing the squad, I determined that the roster is adequate for the start of the campaign, offering a good blend of experienced veterans and young talents. Given the financial constraints — specifically the lack of a transfer budget — I will have to navigate the first year with this existing group of players, making only minor adjustments. Consequently, performing well in international competitions will be a top priority throughout the career; the club needs to be financially strengthened so that, by recruiting South American talent, I can consistently manage a squad composed of young, marketable players. In general, young players will play a significant role in the squad, with their nurturing and development taking precedence. Due to limited financial resources, transfer activity is unlikely, so the current roster will almost certainly form the backbone of the team for the first season. During the transfer window, the primary focus will be on offloading surplus players and those whose salaries are disproportionately high relative to their value; hopefully, in subsequent windows, we will be in a position to sign players for a fee.

Upon my arrival, the players were seated in the following formations:

GOALKEEPERS:

I had a pretty solid group of goalkeepers at my disposal for this position, with three keepers of roughly equal ability in the squad. The options for the first team are: 29-year-old Washington Aguerre, 19-year-old Randall Rodríguez, and 28-year-old Guillermo De Amores. I plan to give playing time to Aguerre and Rodríguez during the season; De Amores is slated for sale, as his weekly salary of €4.000 is quite high for our level. Rodríguez is seen as a prospect for the future — someone I’m counting on for the long haul — and I hope he will continue to develop and realize his 4.5-star potential, so I want to ensure he gets adequate playing time.

Behind them, 18-year-old Juan Pablo Munoz will feature for the reserves, while 18-year-old Kevin Morgan and 16-year-old Martín Almeida will play for the U-19 squad. Of the three young keepers, Morgan and Almeida have the potential to eventually break into the senior squad. 

Also part of the roster is 26-year-old Thiago Cardozo; based on ability, he would be my fourth-choice keeper, but he is currently on loan to the Argentine club Unión de Santa Fe, who hold an option to buy him for €1.000.000.

RIGHT BACKS:

I found a very favorable situation on the right side of the defense: Byron Castillo, the Ecuadorian player currently with us on a two-season loan, is a top-class talent — and under the terms of the loan agreement, Club León covers his entire salary for the duration. Behind him, I have 20-year-old Pedro Milans and 19-year-old Joaquín Ferreira at my disposal; both have the potential for promising long-term careers. 18-year-old Brazilian Mateus Santos will initially feature in the reserves, while 16-year-old Ignacio Alegre will play for the U-19 squad. Among the youngsters, Alegre has a potential rating of 5.0 stars and Milans 4.5 stars — hopefully, they will live up to that potential over the coming years.

CENTRE BACKS:

The defensive core is also well-stocked; 20-year-old Martín Gianoli stands out in particular, as he is clearly set to become one of the team's most valuable players. His partner in the starting lineup will be the experienced 29-year-old Brazilian, Léo Coelho. 22-year-old Guzmán Rodríguez and the exceptionally talented 18-year-old Andrés Madruga will also feature in the senior squad. The reserve team will include 20-year-old Colombian Juan Camilo Sánchez, 19-year-old Agustín Rodríguez, and 18-year-old Faustino Fernández. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Nahuel Herrera, 16-year-old Iker Ansó, and 16-year-old Samuel Fagúndez will continue their development in the U-19 squad.

Retaining Gianoli will be crucial for the save. Among the youngsters, Ansó and Fagúndez possess 4.5-star potential, while Madruga and Herrera have 4.0-star potential. I do not plan to make any signings for this position, though I might look for a more experienced center-back for the senior squad — either as a free agent or on loan — so that Andrés Madruga can play for the U-19 team. This would allow him to get consistent playing time and develop there, paving the way for more senior-level minutes next season.

In addition to the ten center-backs currently in the squad, 20-year-old Matías González is on loan at Danubio, and 17-year-old Juan Rodríguez is on loan at Boston River. Of them, Juan Rodríguez appears to be the more talented player at first glance — he has 4.5-star potential — so I can count on him for the long term once his loan deal expires.

LEFT BACKS:

I was also completely satisfied with the players available for the left side of the defense; 30-year-old Maximiliano Olivera and 25-year-old Argentine Diego Sosa — currently on loan from the Argentine club Tigre — are clearly strong options for the first team. Sosa is on loan with us for two seasons, and the Argentine club is covering his full salary during this period; we also hold an option to buy him for €850.000. Next in line is 19-year-old Mathías De Ritis, who has 4.5-star potential; he will play for the U-19 team this year but — provided he develops at the right pace — will eventually feature in the senior squad. Also in the squad is 30-year-old Lucas Hernández, though I do not plan to use him at all; I would like to sell him, as he earns a rather high weekly salary of €3.200.

DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDERS:

A solid squad was available here as well. The starting lineup will feature 29-year-old Sebastián Cristóforo and the promising 19-year-old talent Ignacio Sosa. Behind them, I have two youngsters at my disposal — 19-year-old Damián García and 18-year-old Valentín Silva — along with the experienced 28-year-old Javier Méndez. Sosa and García clearly stand out among the young players, and retaining them will be my primary objective.

18-year-old Tomas Olase will be part of the reserve squad, while 17-year-old Lorenzo Couture and 16-year-old Mateo Ureta will join the U-19 squad to further their development. Couture has 4.5-star potential; hopefully, in a few years, I will be able to count on him for the first team as well.

In addition to the players mentioned above, 22-year-old Rodrigo Savaria is currently on loan at the Argentine club Gimnasia y Esgrima, while 20-year-old Braulio Guisolfo is on loan at Centro Atlético Fénix. Savaria is a quality player; the Argentine club holds an option to purchase him for €1.600.000.

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS:

I had excellent options for this position as well; 18-year-old Franco González was clearly one of the club's most valuable assets, and keeping him will be a top priority for me. Behind him, 32-year-old Gastón Ramírez is also an outstanding player by domestic standards, and his experience will be a great asset to the team. Franco González will definitely be the starter, with Gastón Ramírez serving as his backup. 19-year-old Pablo Nongoy can expect limited playing time this year, though he will certainly step in should injuries or suspensions arise; alongside his role as a squad player for the first team, he will play a key part in our U19 squad.

18-year-old Leandro Umpiérrez was also available to me, though for the time being, I could only offer him playing time with the U19 team. 

20-year-old Matías Ferreira was on loan at Miramar Misiones; once he returns, I will decide on his role based on the progress he has made.

RIGHT WINGERS:

I faced an embarrassment of riches for this position, as the senior squad included two quality players on loan: 24-year-old Leonardo Fernández (from Deportivo Toluca) and 28-year-old Argentine Ángel González (from Liga de Quito). We hold purchase options for both — €2.800.000 for Fernández and €1.400.000 for González. Fernández can also play as an attacking midfielder. 

Behind them, 20-year-old Santiago Álvez will be part of the senior squad but will also play for the reserves to ensure regular game time. 23-year-old Nahuel Acosta is a decent player, but he wouldn't get many opportunities behind the others, so I will likely send him out on loan. 20-year-old Diego Méndez shows good potential, so he will feature for the reserves. 31-year-old Camilo Mayada is clearly not part of the future plans; his rivals for the position are more talented, and his weekly salary of €5.750 doesn't fit the club's financial situation, so I definitely wanted to sell him. 19-year-old Nahuel de Armas will play for the U19 team.

20-year-old Brian Mansilla possessed quite good attributes, but he was out on loan at Defensor Sporting.

LEFT WINGERS:

In the senior squad, 24-year-old Eduardo Darías — on loan from Deportivo Maldonado — and 30-year-old Javier Cabrera provide me with solid options on the left wing. We also hold an option to purchase Darías for €925.000. 

Behind them, 18-year-old Franco Correa shows promise, though he will feature only for the reserves this season. Meanwhile, 16-year-olds Lucas Scarlatto, Stiven Muhlethaler, and Mauro Skunca are bright prospects for the future; however, given their age, they will certainly play for the U19 team during the first season to aid their development.

All three of my players currently out on loan show great promise. 21-year-old Valentín Rodríguez is at the Mexican club Pachuca, 20-year-old Nicolás Rossi is with Danubio, and 20-year-old Máximo Alonso is playing for Granada. The loaning clubs hold purchase options for two of them: €1.800.000 for Rodríguez and €1.600.000 for Alonso.

STRIKERS:

I also found a strong squad at the striker position. Three talented forwards were ready for action: 27-year-old Argentine Leonardo Sequeira (on loan from Real Oviedo), 25-year-old Maximiliano Silvera, and 22-year-old José Neris (on loan from Colón). Of these, Sequeira and Silvera are likely to get more playing time, while Neris will probably fill a supporting role. We hold an option to buy Sequeira for €1.400.000 and Neris for €1.900.000.

Behind them, 19-year-old Franco Suárez shows great promise but isn't yet ready to displace the three aforementioned strikers, so I will likely send him out on loan. 

18-year-olds Sebastián Camacho and Giuliano Stagno will train with the reserves. 16-year-olds Facundo Morales and Ignacio Charrutti, 18-year-old Agustín Rodríguez, and 17-year-old Luciano González will feature in the U19 squad for the time being; I hope they will continue to develop and eventually prove useful to the team.

Among the players currently out on loan, 19-year-old Bruno Betancor possesses outstanding ability. 20-year-old Óscar Cruz and 19-year-old Santiago Díaz also show great potential.

FOREIGN PLAYERS:

According to the championship regulations, a maximum of 3 foreign players may be on the court at any one time. Currently, I have 7 such foreign players in my full active squad:

In the strongest projected starting lineup, Castillo would play as right-back, Coelho as centre-back, and Sequeira as a forward. This would satisfy the required rule, though naturally, I will need to keep this criterion in mind when rotating the squad.

LOANED PLAYERS:

An analysis of the players currently on loan reveals that the terms negotiated prior to my arrival were exceptionally favorable; the lending clubs cover the majority of their wages. In the case of Byron Castillo and Leonardo Fernández — who command high salaries — their original clubs pay their full wages (their combined pay would otherwise amount to €28.000 per week). It is also worth noting that all the players currently on loan to us are under long-term agreements; with the exception of Ángel González and José Neris — who are signed for 1.5 years — the others will remain with us for 2 years. The total weekly salary for these loan players would normally be €35.090, yet we are responsible for only €7.215 — resulting in a saving of €27.785 against our wage budget. We hold an option to buy 6 of the 7 players currently on loan, though I consider the likelihood of exercising all these options to be slim, as the total cost would amount to €9.275.000...

LOANED OUT PLAYERS:

An analysis of the players I have out on loan reveals that the terms arranged prior to my arrival were relatively favorable, as the loaning club covers the majority of their wages. All the players currently out on loan are on long-term agreements, with contracts spanning either one and a half or two years. The players' original weekly wage is €15.090; of this amount, we are responsible for only €5.140, ​​while the borrowing club pays the remainder. Of the 13 players out on loan, the borrowing clubs hold an option to buy 4 of them (Cardozo, Saravia, V. Rodríguez, and Alonso); if these options were all exercised, we could generate €6.000.000 in revenue.

TRANSFER CLAUSES:

Revenue clauses:

Regarding the clauses, I can anticipate guaranteed revenue of €1.160.000 in October 2023 and October 2024, payable by Manchester United as installments on the transfer fee for Facundo Pellistri. Among the clauses listed in the table, our share-of-proceeds clause concerning Nahitán Nández can be activated; exercising this option would yield us €275.000.

Expenditure clauses:

None of the clauses represent a guaranteed expense, nor do we have any clauses that can be exercised optionally.

TACTIC:

Based on an assessment of the available squad, I firmly opted for the 4-2-3-1 formation. In defense, I aim to utilize my two center-backs as ball-playing defenders — provided the players possess the requisite technical ability for the level of competition — encouraging them to step up boldly during the build-up phase. I deployed my two full-backs with an attacking mindset; beyond their defensive duties, their primary task was to provide width in attack, given that my wingers were operating as inside forwards. I fielded two defensive midfielders in the center of the park, with one of them playing a more defensive role. The attacking midfielder was clearly assigned an offensive role, while my lone striker was primarily responsible for finishing and converting goal-scoring opportunities.

IX. TRANSFER SEASON

STRATEGY FOR THE TRANSFER SEASON:

Given the €33.909 transfer budget at my disposal — which had already been increased following an adjustment to expectations — and the €3.762 in weekly wages available within the salary cap, I didn't have grand plans regarding transfers; I knew right from the start that I wouldn't be signing players for a fee this year. 

Consequently, the obvious options were loan deals and free agents. My avenues for signing new players narrowed even further, as I couldn't bring anyone in on loan either; there is a limit of 5 loan signings per season, and I already had 7 loan players on the books. 

I considered freeing up a spot in the squad for a new, higher-quality loan signing by sending back some of the existing ones, but that wasn't an option either, as the contracts of the players already with me couldn't be terminated — I couldn't send them back to their parent clubs.

So, my options were severely restricted: with no funds available and no possibility of bringing in loan players, free agents remained the only potential source of new signings. Naturally, I didn't have high expectations for them, so I decided to play out this first season with the existing squad — which was perfectly adequate — and dedicate my minimal transfer budget to scouting instead. Another key objective was to offload players who were surplus to requirements or whose salaries were disproportionately high relative to their roles within the team, as well as to sign existing squad members to new, long-term contracts — ideally reducing guaranteed wages in the process to free up additional funds within the salary budget.

SCOUTING:

As mentioned in my transfer strategy, I immediately reallocated a portion of my limited transfer budget to the scouting budget to enable the scouting of young talents across a wider region. Initially, the scouting network was restricted to Uruguay, incurring a monthly cost of €1.700. 

I expanded this scope to cover the southern part of South America; following this adjustment, my scouting costs rose to €11.750 per month, but I gained the opportunity to scout players in neighboring Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

TRANSFER SEASON:

As I mentioned earlier, there wasn't much movement in the squad; instead, I focused on laying the foundations for the team of the future while trying to minimize expenses. Immediately after assessing the squad, I began extending contracts, offering new deals to 45 players. I managed to secure very favorable terms for these extensions, successfully reducing my weekly wage bill by €8.305. I achieved this even while granting pay raises to several key players and increasing the wages of players who had previously been on youth contracts. The contract extensions were finalized as follows:

After finalizing contract extensions, I scouted the market for unattached, free-agent players. I signed 3 young talents on free transfers:

• 19-year-old defensive midfielder Lucas Puyol,
• 19-year-old attacking midfielder Germán Mangarelli,
• 19-year-old attacking midfielder Leandro Méndez.

All three signed for a weekly wage of €150 and will initially feature in the reserve squad. 

I placed several players on the transfer list, but unfortunately, only Lucas Hernández was purchased; Chapecoense paid a transfer fee of €35.000 for him, which also freed up his rather high weekly salary of €3.200. Regarding Hernández, Wanderers and CA Cerro were entitled to a share of the transfer fee as training compensation; I had to transfer a total of €1.750 to these two clubs. 

I was unable to find buyers for De Amores and Mayada — who were also listed for sale — so they remain with the squad for the time being; I hope to sell their playing rights within six months at the latest.

Additionally, my young striker Franco Suárez left on a temporary loan to Curicó Unido, though under the terms of the agreement, we continue to cover his wages during the loan period. It is evident from the above that we have had a rather quiet transfer window; I am convinced that far more eventful transfer periods lie ahead.

Following the close of the transfer window and the completion of contract extensions and transfers, I was left with a transfer budget of €42.235. My wage budget rose to €114.104 per week; meanwhile, I managed to reduce my wage expenditure to €99.967 per week, resulting in €14.137 of unused wage budget at my disposal.

X. STAFF

FIRST TEAM STAFF:

When I arrived, the first team's coaching staff needed strengthening in several areas; there were positions with no specialist available at all, while in other cases, the existing staff member did not meet my quality standards. Overall, the staff consisted of 12 members earning a combined total of €11.825 per week.

The coaching staff’s average rating ranked 5th in the Uruguayan league — a situation that clearly could not remain as it was, given that my goal was to reach the top-3 in every training category to secure domestic dominance.

The recruitment staff held the best average rating in the domestic league; we were ahead of the competition in every aspect.

The medical staff had the second-best average rating in the Uruguayan top flight.

I reviewed the assignment of available coaches to the various training categories, and the situation was quite dismal: they averaged only 2.91 stars out of a possible 5.0

Consequently, I was very active in restructuring the professional staff, resulting in significant turnover in this area. To start, I terminated the contracts of 3 staff members by mutual consent:

• Claudio Flores, Head of Youth Development,
• Augusto Rammauro, Transfer Analyst,
• Héctor Enrique Pena, Head Physiotherapist.

Terminating the contracts cost a total of €6.500, but €1.005 in weekly salary costs was freed up.

I have signed 17 new staff members:

• Leonardo Squadrone as Head of Youth Development,
• Daniel Pavan as Goalkeeper Coach,
• Hernán Castex as Fitness Coach,
• Carlinhos Neves and Víctor Marchesin as Coaches,
• Claudiano Nozaki as Set-piece Coach,
• André Neves as Head Physiotherapist,
• Ramiro Moreda as Physiotherapist,
• Belmar as Head Sports Scientist,
• Cristian Alfonso as Sports Scientist,
• Gilmar Francisco, Flavio Roca, Diego Mazzilli, Marco Lobo, and Guillermo Arciga as Scouts,
• Gustavo Torres as Head Performance Analyst,
• Ramiro Arbelaiz as Performance Analyst.

They were all free agents, so no transfer fees were required; however, they significantly increased the wage bill, as the combined weekly salary of the 17 new staff members amounted to €14.895. Following the transfer window, the senior team's backroom staff expanded from 12 to 26 members, ensuring I had personnel for every key role. The total weekly salary for the senior team's staff rose from €11.825 to €25.740. Overall, the staff underwent significant improvement:

• the coaching staff's average rating improved from a previous level of 5.2 to the best in the league, we now employed the top specialist in every training category
• the scouting staff remained the best in the league
• our medical staff moved up from second to first place, with our club receiving the highest rating in every category

Regarding training categories, our average rating improved significantly from 2.91 stars to 3.68 stars. Given our current financial situation, making player transfers was not an option; it therefore made perfect sense to invest our limited resources into developing the backroom staff, ensuring our young talents received the best possible training to foster their development.

RESERVE STAFF:

The reserve team's backroom staff required strengthening in several areas; there were positions where no specialist was available at all. Overall, the staff consisted of five individuals earning a combined €1.475 per week. The coaching staff held an average ranking of 5.5th place in the reserve league, while the medical staff ranked 6.5th among reserve teams. I reviewed the assignment of available coaches to specific training categories, and the situation was rather dismal: they achieved an average rating of only 2.91 stars out of a possible 5.0

I did not terminate the contracts of any existing staff members, but I did sign 2 new staff members for the reserve squad:

• Juan Lambert (Sports Scientist),
• Joaquín Borriero (Performance Analyst).

Both new arrivals were free agents, so there was no transfer fee; their combined weekly salary amounted to €600. Regarding the fitness coaches, I extended Sebastián Roquero's contract; he signed a new deal running until 2024 with a weekly salary of €325.

Following the transfer window, the reserve team's backroom staff grew from 5 to 7 members, ensuring I had personnel for every key role. The total weekly salary for the reserve team's staff rose from €1.475 to €2,100. 

Overall, the staff showed significant improvement:

• the coaching staff’s average rating improved from 5.2 to 4.0
• our medical staff rose from a ranking of 6.5 to second place
• regarding training categories, our previous average rating of 2.91 stars saw significant improvement, reaching an average of 3.73 stars.

U19 STAFF:

The U19 team's coaching staff required strengthening in several areas; there were positions where no specialist was available at all. Overall, the staff consisted of 4 individuals earning a combined €995 per week.

The coaching staff held an average ranking of 2.3 in the youth league, while the medical staff for the reserves ranked 11th. I reviewed the assignment of available coaches to specific training categories, and the situation was rather dismal: they achieved an average rating of only 3.05 stars out of a possible 5.0.

To start, I terminated the contract of one staff member by mutual agreement — specifically, assistant manager Serafin García. This cost €1.500 but freed up €250 per week in the wage budget.

I signed 3 new staff members for the U19 squad:

• Christian Britos as a sports scientist,
• Norberto Debbag as a physiotherapist,
• Lucio Stortoni as a performance analyst.

These new staff members were free agents, so there was no signing fee; their combined weekly wages amounted to €975. Following the transfer window, the U19 team's staff grew from 4 to 6 members, ensuring I had personnel for every key role. 

The salary of the U19 team's coaching staff increased from €995 to €1.720 per week.

Overall, the staff ratings changed as follows:

• the coaching staff's average rating dropped from 2.3 to 3.5
• our medical staff moved up from a rating of 6.5 to third place
• regarding training categories, our previous average rating of 3.05 stars improved, reaching an average of 3.36 stars.

XI. FRIENDLY MATCHES:

Immediately upon my arrival, I reorganized the friendly matches, aiming to schedule as many games as possible; this allowed the team to gain greater familiarity with the planned tactics while ensuring sufficient playing time for every player considered for the senior squad. Accordingly, I arranged a total of seven pre-season matches—all played at home—with the explicit goal of generating additional revenue from ticket sales. Due to the high volume of fixtures, the games followed a continuous Wednesday-Saturday schedule, and I rotated the starting lineup and the substitutes throughout the pre-season period.

PENAROL - PLAZA COLONIA:

The first friendly match took place just two days after my arrival, against Plaza Colonia. I fielded my starting lineup against this fellow top-flight opponent, aiming to kick off our preparations with our strongest possible squad. We started the match well; in the 4th minute, following a throw-in on the left flank, Eduardo Darias dribbled skillfully into the penalty area and took the ball down to the byline, where a sliding defender brought him down before he could deliver a cross. Leonardo Fernández stepped up to take the deserved penalty and confidently fired the ball into the net — 1–0. We soon doubled our lead in the 12th minute: Franco González curled a corner kick toward the near post, where Martín Gianoli — having moved forward from the back — headed it into the visitors' goal — 2–0. In the 35th minute, near the halfway line, Eduardo Darias cleverly turned away from his marker and masterfully chipped the ball into the open space behind the defense; Franco González pounced on it, beat the defenders to the ball, and blasted it with great power into the far bottom corner from 13 meters out — 3–0. Just before halftime, Maximiliano Olivera suffered an injury, so Ignacio Sosa took his place after the break. Unfortunately, the team seemed to leave their focus in the dressing room after the interval, as the visitors pulled a goal back just 40 seconds in through Alex Bruno, who scored following a neat passing sequence — 3–1. We continued to dictate the play, and in the 65th minute, I made a complete line change. We created several more great scoring chances in the final third of the match but were unable to find the net again. Overall, the team delivered a truly convincing performance in this first pre-season game; the lads kept the match under control throughout, and Franco González was named Man of the Match. Maximiliano Olivera, who sustained an injury during the game, has been sidelined for one week.

PENAROL - DEPORTIVO MALDONADO:

Following our first successful match, the young Randall Rodríguez — slated to start — suffered an injury that sidelined him for three weeks. Consequently, substitute players took the starting spots for this match against Deportivo Maldonado. We once again made a strong start: in the very first minute, Javier Méndez played the ball to Damián García, who was making a run down the right flank; after controlling the ball, García fired a beautiful shot into the far corner from 15 meters out — 1–0. We maintained our attacking momentum after taking the lead, consistently creating chances in front of the opposition's goal. This pressure paid off in the 21st minute; although the visiting goalkeeper saved a 20-meter shot from Pedro Milans, the rebound fell right to José Neris, who was lurking nearby and tapped the ball into the empty net from close range — 2–0. Our opponents didn't play poorly and created several chances, but their attackers struggled with finishing. Our players, however, were clinical: in the 43rd minute, Ángel González broke through the defense following a pass from Damián García and confidently converted the resulting clear-cut chance into a goal — 3–0. In stoppage time at the end of the half, our defenders headed the ball clear following a corner kick; Javier Cabrera collected the ball just outside the penalty area and launched a long, precise pass to Ángel González, who was making a run from the halfway line. Our Argentine winger pulled off a feint and then beat the defender in a footrace; upon reaching the goal, he showed great unselfishness — opting against a shot — and passed the ball back to Cabrera, who had followed the play up and simply had to slot it into the empty net, making it 4–0 with this lethal counter-attack. Play resumed after halftime with another lapse in concentration; just 27 seconds after the restart, we conceded a goal as Elías De León pulled one back for the opposition. Hopefully, this won't become the team's trademark. The visitors scored again in the 50th minute — this time Agustín Alfaro headed the ball into our net following a set-piece combination — bringing the score to 4–2. After conceding those two goals, I tried to shake the team up, and it worked, as we managed to defend more solidly from that point on. I made several substitutions in the closing stages of the match, and the players who came on injected a new rhythm into our game. In the 84th minute, we scored our fifth goal following a fine move involving the substitutes: Leonardo Sequeira found the net after a pass from Franco González, making it 5–2. Sequeira nearly doubled his tally in the 88th minute, but his powerful shot from 15 meters out rattled the crossbar. The match ended 5–2; aside from a five-minute lapse early in the second half, we secured a confident victory in our second friendly match, with Damián García named the game's best player.

PENAROL - RACING DE MONTEVIDEO:

In our third match, against Racing de Montevideo, we started with our regular lineup; in the 5th minute, Leonardo Fernández curled a corner kick beautifully from the right, meeting Martín Gianoli’s perfectly timed run — he headed the ball past the helpless goalkeeper into the net — but the referee inexplicably disallowed the goal for offside. We continued to dictate the play, keeping the action constantly in front of the visitors' goal, yet despite creating numerous chances, we couldn't take the lead due to an amazing performance by the opposing goalkeeper. We went into the break deadlocked at 0–0. The second half followed a similar pattern, but in the 59th minute, our pressure finally paid off: Leonardo Fernández received a through-ball on the right, drove to the byline, and played a pass into the center that found Leonardo Sequeira, who beat the keeper from two meters out — 1–0. Sequeira soon doubled our lead, heading home a superb cross from Maximiliano Olivera from five meters out in the 72nd minute — 2–0. We sealed the victory in the 86th minute when Martín Gianoli scored a fine header from a corner delivered by substitute Javier Cabrera — 3–0. We secured a dominant, confident win in our third pre-season match, with Leonardo Sequeira — scorer of two goals — named Man of the Match.

PENAROL - WANDERERS:

Just before the fourth match, Damián García was sidelined for three weeks due to an injury sustained in training. As planned, I fielded my substitute squad against Wanderers. We started the match somewhat cautiously, but managed to take the lead from our first meaningful attack in the 15th minute: following a pass from Javier Cabrera, Gastón Ramírez found the net with a low shot from eight meters out - 1-0. We doubled our lead in the 20th minute; after a free-kick crossed in by Ramírez, my young center-back Andrés Madruga — who had pushed forward — executed a sensational overhead kick. Although the goalkeeper managed to parry the initial effort, Ramírez pounced on the rebound and placed the ball into the net past the grounded keeper — 2–0. We maintained the initiative even with the two-goal lead and went into the break with that advantage intact. The pattern of play remained unchanged after the interval, and in the 58th minute, we scored again through Ángel González following a cross from the advancing Joaquín Ferreira—3–0. There were no further noteworthy events in the remainder of the match, and led by Man of the Match Gastón Ramírez, we secured another fine victory.

PENAROL - ARGENTINO (MERLO):

In our next pre-season friendly, we hosted Argentino (Merlo), a team from the Argentine second division; true to our rotation plan, my intended starting XI took the field. We fell behind early on — in the 5th minute — when the visitors took the lead via an Alexis Oviedo goal following a clever set-piece routine (0–1). For the remainder of the half, the form we had shown in previous matches was nowhere to be found; we barely managed to create a single chance. Instead, we conceded again in the 29th minute: this time, following a corner routine, the ball was cut back to the edge of the penalty area, where Kevin Benítez scored a spectacular goal (0–2). Our first meaningful attack of the half didn't come until the 44th minute, when Eduardo Darias played a through-ball to Franco González inside the box; González finished beautifully, slotting the ball past the goalkeeper into the far corner (1–2). At halftime, I made it clear to the team that I was dissatisfied with both their performance and their attitude. This had the desired effect, as we played with much greater threat in the second half, keeping our opponents under constant pressure. We created a string of chances during this period but failed to find the net again, coming closest when Eduardo Darias hit the woodwork. As a result, the final score remained 1–2, marking our first defeat under my tenure — but fortunately, it was only a friendly match.

PENAROL - PLATENSE:

After a less-than-ideal previous match, we continued our preparations against another Argentine side, this time facing the top-flight team Platense on home turf. Early in the first half, we posed a threat primarily through set-pieces, but we took the lead in the 22nd minute following a fine attacking move: after receiving a deep pass, Gastón Ramírez turned towards goal just outside the penalty area and unleashed a spectacular shot from 20 meters out to make it 1–0. We maintained control of the game after taking the lead; in the 44th minute, following a corner from the left, Pedro Milans collected a headed clearance and teed up the ball for Ángel González at the edge of the box, who also scored a magnificent goal — 2–0. We went into the break with a comfortable two-goal cushion, having not allowed our opponents a single shot attempt during the first half. I made several substitutions in the second half, giving playing time to players who hadn't featured previously. The pattern of play remained unchanged in this period, with the visitors unable to create any real danger near our goal. We carved out further chances — including hitting the woodwork — but failed to score again. Nevertheless, led by Man of the Match Gastón Ramírez, we secured a confident victory against a strong team from the Argentine top flight.

PENAROL - MONTEVIDEO CITY TORQUE:

Gastón Ramírez, who had performed like a leader in the previous match, picked up an injury during training and will be sidelined for five weeks; consequently, I plan to replace him with the youngster Pablo Nongoy for the start of the season. We played our final pre-season match against Montevideo City Torque — a strong top-flight side — fielding my intended starting lineup. We seized the initiative right from kickoff; in the 5th minute, a thunderous 25-meter strike from Franco González rattled the crossbar. We took the lead in the 19th minute: Sebastián Cristóforo delivered a free-kick from the left flank to the far post, where Léo Coelho beat the defenders to the ball and headed it home from five meters out — 1–0. In the 29th minute, Franco González curled in a corner; Martín Gianoli made a dynamic run to the near post to meet the delivery but was hauled down by his marker, prompting the referee to award a penalty. Leonardo Fernández stepped up to take the spot-kick, but the visiting goalkeeper, Tinaglini, managed to save his effort. The missed penalty did not dampen the team's spirits; we continued to press the visitors' goal, resulting in another strike in the 34th minute. Eduardo Darias dribbled into the penalty area from the left, cleverly spotted teammates arriving in the second wave, and laid the ball back for Ignacio Sosa, who blasted it into the net with great power from 14 meters out — 2–0. In the 39th minute, we were awarded another penalty after defenders kicked Sebastián Cristóforo inside the box. Leonardo Fernández stepped up to the spot again, but this time he converted the penalty, confidently firing it home – 3–0. I made no changes at halftime, and we took the field with the same lineup for the second half. During our first attack after the restart, Byron Castillo broke down the right flank and played the ball into the middle, where Franco González met it and neatly finished past the goalkeeper from 12 meters out – 4–0. In the 60th minute, I made a complete change of the entire lineup, yet the pattern of play remained unchanged. In the 81st minute, substitute Pablo Nongoy pulled off several fine moves in front of goal before neatly setting up Ángel González, who scored our fifth goal from seven meters out—5–0. We delivered the final blow to the visitors in the 89th minute: after winning the ball near our own penalty area, Javier Cabrera launched a pass to Ángel González, who drove into the box and calmly rolled the ball past the helpless goalkeeper — 6–0. We controlled the match from start to finish; the visitors didn't create a single serious scoring chance, and our substitutes performed well and showed great motivation — with Ángel González, who scored twice, being named Man of the Match. Our final pre-season game was a resounding success; we staged an impressive show of strength against a domestic rival, giving us plenty of confidence heading into the upcoming season!

SUMMARY - FRIENDLY MATCHES:

During our January pre-season preparations, we played a total of seven matches; we secured six victories and suffered a defeat against Argentino (Merlo), a team from the Argentine second division. Although minor injuries occasionally complicated squad selection, overall, we completed a successful pre-season campaign:

• We scored 23 goals and conceded only 5
• We had 143 shots, while our opponents only had 45
• We had 68 shots on goal, while our opponents only had 18
• We had an xG of 18.99, while our opponents recorded a figure of only 5.18
• The corner-kick count was 90–28 in our favor
• We held 59,57% ​​possession on average

NEW SPONSOR:

At the end of the pre-season, the club's management announced that a new shirt sponsorship agreement had been signed (up until now, we had no sponsorship revenue), thanks to which the club will receive €375.000 in annual sponsorship funding for four years, running until February 1, 2027.

2023. FEBRUAR

Our competitive matches for the season began in February; we are involved in three different competitions:

• domestic league
• domestic cup
• Copa Sudamericana

If I had to rank them by importance, I would definitely place the domestic league first, as my clear goal for this career is to become the dominant, undisputed force on the domestic stage. A strong league performance would boost our reputation and secure a spot in the Copa Libertadores, which promises significantly higher revenue among international competitions. The Copa Sudamericana takes second place; the club can earn substantial prize money in this tournament, and a successful international run would make the team more attractive to potential new players. The domestic cup holds less significance; I plan to field players who have seen less action there, though naturally — should we reach the later stages — I will aim to go all the way and win the trophy. We have just four competitive matches this month: first, two fixtures that appear easier on paper against Centro Atlético Fénix and Plaza Colonia, followed by two big clashes — an away game against River Plate Montevideo, and then a home derby in Matchday 4 against our arch-rivals, Nacional.

APERTURA - 1st round: CENTRO ATLÉTICO FÉNIX-PENAROL

The first competitive match of the season took place during the “Apertura” — the league's opening phase consisting of 15 rounds — where we played away against Centro Atlético Fénix. Before the season began, pundits had predicted a 10th-place finish for our opponents. Selecting the starting lineup was complicated by minor injuries sustained by Byron Castillo and Franco González just before the match, forcing me to do without them for a few days. Pedro Milans started at right-back in Castillo's place, while I moved Leonardo Fernández from the right flank to attacking midfield, with Ángel González taking over his spot on the wing. We started the match strongly; in the 5th minute, Sebastián Cristóforo took a free-kick from the left, sending a cross toward the far post. Eduardo Darias moved in to meet the delivery but was pulled to the ground by defenders from behind, resulting in a penalty. Leonardo Fernández confidently converted the spot-kick, giving us the lead — 1–0. We maintained our attacking momentum after taking the lead, and in the 7th minute, we doubled our advantage through a header by Martín Gianoli, who scored from a corner delivered by Leonardo Fernández — 2–0. In the 27th minute, Ángel González surged down the right flank and aimed a cross toward a teammate arriving at the far post, but a defender managed to slide in and block the ball's path. However, the ball spilled off the defender and fell right to Leonardo Sequeira, who gratefully accepted the chance and fired it into the net from five meters out — 3–0. In the 32nd minute, Ángel González broke through the defense onto a through ball; he beat his marker for pace, only to be brought down by a sliding tackle inside the penalty area, earning us another spot-kick. Leonardo Fernández stepped up once again and proved clinical from the spot for the second time — 4–0. We didn't ease off despite our commanding lead; in the 36th minute, following an opponent's corner, we launched a lightning-fast counterattack. Leonardo Fernández played a brilliant pass to Ángel González, who was bearing down on goal alone and ruthlessly converted the chance — 5–0. In stoppage time of the first half — the 47th minute — Ángel González took the ball to the byline and cut it back to Pedro Milans, who was arriving in the box; Milans controlled the ball and was winding up to shoot when he was brought down by defenders, resulting in our third penalty of the match. Leonardo Fernández stepped up for the third time, but on this occasion, the home goalkeeper, Requena, managed to save his shot. We went into the break with a five-goal lead; the team played with commanding authority in the first half, registering 20 shot attempts and an xG of 4.78 in those 45 minutes. The team didn't ease off after the interval either, as we scored our sixth goal in the 50th minute; our Brazilian defender, Léo Coelho, found the net from close range following a pass from Eduardo Darias – 6–0. After the sixth goal, my team shifted down a gear, and around the 60th minute, I made four substitutions. In the 80th minute, Eduardo Darias delivered a brilliant pass to substitute Pablo Nongoy, and our young midfielder scored his first goal on his debut — making it 7–0. In the 85th minute, Léo Coelho met Maximiliano Olivera’s corner at the near post and headed in a fine goal — his second of the match and the team's eighth — bringing the score to 8–0. In the 90th minute, José Neris — who had also come on as a substitute — suffered an injury; with no substitutions remaining, we finished stoppage time a man down, though this naturally did not jeopardize our victory. Post-match diagnosis revealed that Neris would be sidelined for four weeks. The players delivered a dazzling performance in the opening match, with several standing out; Eduardo Darias was named Man of the Match. Thanks to this commanding victory, we immediately moved to the top of the table after the first round.

APERTURA - 2nd round: PENAROL-PLAZA COLONIA

Following that resounding victory, we made our home debut in the league, hosting Plaza Colonia. Byron Castillo and Franco González both returned to the squad after recovering from minor injuries. We started the match with a dominant performance, though our superiority in the early stages didn't immediately translate into a flurry of chances. In the 21st minute, Martín Gianoli met a Franco González corner at the near post — just as he had done before — and his header gave us the lead (1–0). In the 27th minute, Ignacio Sosa dribbled into the penalty area; a covering defender dispossessed him and attempted a back-pass to the goalkeeper, but the pass was short, allowing the pressing Leonardo Sequeira to beat the defender to the ball, round the keeper, and roll it into the empty net (2–0). We scored another goal from a corner in the 29th minute, effectively replicating our first goal: Martín Gianoli once again headed in a delivery from Franco González (3–0). In the 41st minute, following a corner, a headed-back ball was played back into the danger zone by Franco González; Eduardo Darias controlled it and fired into the net from 10 meters out (4–0). We completely overwhelmed our opponents in the first half, so at the break, I made sure to warn the players against becoming overconfident. After the break, in the 48th minute, Leonardo Fernández was injured and replaced by Ángel González. In the 55th minute, the newly introduced Ángel González set up Eduardo Darias, who scored a spectacular goal from 22 meters out — making it 5–0. I made several substitutions for the final third of the match; among the players who came on, Pablo Nongoy scored in the 80th minute, but the goal was disallowed by the referee for offside. In the 91st minute, following a corner kick, Léo Coelho passed to an unmarked Javier Cabrera, who beautifully curled the ball from 10 meters out past the helpless goalkeeper into the top far corner — though this goal was also ruled out for offside. The match ended 5–0, marking another massive victory for us in the second round. Martín Gianoli was named Man of the Match, having scored two headers during the game. Leonardo Fernández, who was injured early in the second half, was sidelined for three weeks. After two rounds, we remained at the top of the league with an impressive goal difference of 13–0.

APERTURA - 3rd round: RIVER PLATE MONTEVIDEO-PENAROL

In the third round, we faced our first major test as we visited River Plate Montevideo, a side with a strong domestic reputation. We started the match well; in the 4th minute, Léo Coelho played a magnificent 40-meter pass from the halfway line to Eduardo Darias, who was calling for the ball on the left flank; after controlling it, Darias neatly fired into the bottom right corner — 1–0. Our lead lasted until the 14th minute, when Ramiro Cristóbal headed the ball into our net following an attack down the left — 1–1. We regained the lead in the 23rd minute through Leonardo Sequeira, but the referee disallowed the goal due to offside. Undeterred by the disallowed goal, our striker struck again 3 minutes later, blasting a spectacular shot into the top left corner from 25 meters out following a pass from Ángel González — 2–1. In the 31st minute, Léo Coelho moved to meet a corner kick from Franco González but was pulled down by defenders, prompting the referee to award a penalty. Sebastián Cristóforo stepped up to take the spot-kick and confidently converted it — 3–1. Despite scoring two quick goals, we did not ease off; in the 34th minute, Leonardo Sequeira netted his second goal of the match, this time blasting the ball into the home team's net from 14 meters out following a pass from Eduardo Darias — 4–1. The first half did not end there; deep into stoppage time — in the 48th minute — Ángel González delivered another assist from the right flank, this time finding teammate Franco González arriving in the middle, who fired in our fifth goal from five meters out – 5–1. After they equalized, we clearly shifted into a higher gear and practically demolished our opponent, heading into the dressing room with a commanding lead. The team returned for the second half with significantly less intensity; our play focused essentially on containing the opposition. We had a few more scoring opportunities but failed to convert them into further goals. Leonardo Sequeira was named Man of the Match, having scored twice. We secured a major victory in a game that had promised to be a tough challenge, maintaining a 100% record at the top of the table after three rounds with a goal difference of 18–1. Aside from us, only Nacional remained unbeaten in the league — the very team we would face at home in the next round for the first derby of my tenure!

APERTURA - 4th round: PENAROL-NACIONAL

Thanks to the fixture draw, the biggest match in Uruguayan football — the high-stakes showdown against our arch-rivals, Nacional — took place relatively early, in the fourth round of the Apertura; we played this match on home turf. Our opponents had outperformed us on the domestic stage in recent years and had also started the current season strongly, kicking off with three consecutive wins. However, those three victories hadn't exactly been goal-fests; they boasted a goal difference of 5–1. Given our respective league positions, the historic rivalry, and the need to put on a show for the fans, I anticipated a heated encounter, yet we took to the pitch at the Campeón del Siglo firmly hoping for a win. An electric atmosphere greeted the teams at kick-off, and the match began before a capacity crowd. I made no tactical changes to the starting lineup; the only omissions were due to injury, meaning we headed into the match with what I considered our strongest possible starting XI. The match got off to a good start; we dictated the play throughout the first half, even though the opposition had more possession — they failed to create any chances, whereas we kept carving out scoring opportunities. We came close to scoring in the 23rd minute, but a thunderous 25-meter strike from Franco González rattled the crossbar. Our sustained attacking pressure finally paid off in the 33rd minute: Franco González curled in a corner from the left, and Martín Gianoli made his trademark run to the near post, powering home a header to give us the lead — 1–0. The visitors launched their first attack resulting in a shot only during stoppage time of the first half; in the 46th minute, Mateo Antoni timed his run perfectly to meet a Mauricio Pereyra corner, heading in the equalizer — 1–1. We went into the break level, despite dominating the shot count 15–1. 

Although we held a commanding advantage in play, we failed to convert that dominance into goals. Consequently, at halftime, I urged the players to be more precise and focused in the second half. We maintained our superiority after the restart, but clear-cut chances were scarce, so I decided to make substitutions just under fifteen minutes in: Diego Sosa replaced Maximiliano Olivera — who was already on a yellow card — while José Neris came on for Leonardo Sequeira, who had been underperforming. Midway through the second half, I freshened up the squad with two more substitutions: Damián García replaced Sebastián Cristóforo, while Javier Cabrera took the place of Ángel González, who had put in a lackluster performance. Even with these changes, I couldn't break down the visitors' defense, so in the closing stages, I brought on Pedro Milans to replace Byron Castillo on the right flank. We reached the end of regular time with the referee signaling 5 minutes of stoppage time. In the 94th minute, we won a corner on the left; Franco González stepped up again and curled the ball into the danger zone, where Martín Gianoli once again met it, heading the ball home from six meters out — 2-1! Thanks to this last-gasp goal, we managed to win this crucial match, albeit with great difficulty. Based on the run of play, we should have settled the match much earlier (we outshot them 24 to 4), but the fans cared only about the victory itself, celebrating the entire team in a state of euphoria after the final whistle. The hero of the match was undoubtedly Martín Gianoli, who scored both our goals and — unsurprisingly — was named Man of the Match. Winning the Clásico kept us at the top of the table — now as the only team with a perfect record — and gave us a 3-point lead over Nacional.

Monthly summary:

We finished February with a flawless record, winning all 4 of our league matches — including the highly prestigious city derby against Nacional. We displayed incredible dominance across these 4 games, boasting a 20–2 goal difference. We attempted a total of 102 shots, while our opponents managed only 21. We scored our 20 goals from an xG (Expected Goals) of 15.67, meaning we significantly outperformed our expected goal tally. In contrast to our 15.67 xG, our opponents recorded a combined xG of just 1.72 across the 4 matches, from which they scored 2 goals. We averaged 56.00% possession and held a 51–21 advantage in corner kicks over the course of the month.

Somewhat surprisingly, Martín Gianoli topped our internal goal-scoring chart with 5 goals, followed by Leonardo Sequeira and Eduardo Darias with 4 each. Franco González led the way in assists with 5, followed by Ángel González with 4 and Eduardo Darias with 3.

Financially, we closed the month with a loss of €16.117, and our balance at the end of the month stood at €1.362.595. My performance to date has been rated "C+" by both the management and the fans.

2023. MARCH

The team faced five matches in March: four in the league and one in the Copa Sudamericana. The Copa Sudamericana fixture stood out as the priority, as it was an away game against fellow Uruguayan side Defensor Sporting, with the winner of this single-leg playoff advancing to the competition's group stage.

Apertura – 5th round: DANUBIO – PENAROL:

For the first competitive match of the month, we visited Danubio — a strong side sitting fifth in the league standings — so it certainly didn't promise to be an easy outing. With a crucial playoff match against Defensor Sporting coming up just three days later, I decided to rotate the squad slightly; key starters like Byron Castillo, Maximiliano Olivera, Sebastián Cristóforo, Franco González, and Eduardo Darias all began the game on the bench. Despite this, we started well and established clear dominance in general play. In the 25th minute, Leonardo Fernández — who had just returned from injury — suffered a setback, forcing Franco González onto the pitch earlier than planned. We maintained our dominance throughout the first half but failed to find the net, so the teams went into the break deadlocked at 0–0. At halftime, I urged the players to be sharper and pay closer attention to their final passes and decision-making, as these would be the keys to victory. I substituted Javier Cabrera due to his lackluster performance, bringing on Eduardo Darias in his place. My message seemed to get through, as we took the lead right at the start of the second half: Franco González delivered a corner from the right, and Martín Gianoli once again arrived with an unstoppable run to score his sixth goal of the season — making it 1–0. We maintained the initiative for the remainder of the match, outperforming our opponents in every aspect of the game, though we were unable to score another goal. Defensively, however, the team was rock-solid; the home side barely managed to get a shot off throughout the entire match. We secured a 1–0 victory, with Martín Gianoli once again proving to be the match-winner and earning the Man of the Match award. Following this away win, we remained at the top of the table, maintaining a three-point lead over Nacional.

Copa Sudamericana – Playoff: DEFENSOR SPORTING – PENAROL:

The most important match of the season so far had arrived; we were finally making our debut in the Copa Sudamericana, facing domestic rivals Defensor Sporting in a playoff match — an away game — to secure a spot in the group stage. Beyond the prestige, the match was crucial because the club desperately needed the prize money associated with reaching the group stage; furthermore, remaining in the competition as long as possible was vital for building the international reputation we coveted. Accordingly, we fielded our strongest possible lineup. We started well: in the 10th minute, just outside our own penalty area, Maximiliano Olivera dispossessed an opponent and quickly played the ball up to Eduardo Darias near the halfway line. Darias turned away from his marker and delivered a superb pass to Leonardo Sequeira, who was making a run on the edge of the offside line; Sequeira drove the ball into the box and fired a powerful shot into the top near corner to give us the lead — though the downside was that Sequeira had been offside, causing the referee to disallow the goal. We came close again in the 19th minute, but the home goalkeeper pulled off a brilliant save to deny a thunderous shot from Franco González from 25 meters out. The scoreline read 0–0 at halftime; I made one substitution during the break, as Eduardo Darias had taken a knock late in the first half, so Ángel González came on in his place. In the second half, shortly after the restart, Leonardo Sequeira won the ball from a shaky defense in the middle of the opposition's half; he turned past his marker to launch an attack towards Ángel González, who was accelerating into open space on the right flank, but de los Santos ruthlessly brought him down — earning an immediate red card from the referee. This gave us a numerical advantage and significantly improved our chances. After fifteen minutes, I made a change in midfield, bringing on Damián García to replace Sebastián Cristóforo. We capitalized on the man advantage in the 72nd minute: following a clever free-kick routine, Javier Cabrera scored with a low shot from 16 meters out off a pass from Leonardo Sequeira — making it 1–0. In the 82nd minute, Ángel González skillfully dribbled down the right flank to the byline; his precise, low cross perfectly found substitute Maximiliano Silvera, who tapped the ball into the net from close range — though the referee disallowed the goal for offside. No further goals were scored; the home side, now a man down, failed to threaten our goal, allowing us to confidently hold onto our one-goal lead and advance in the tie. Our goalscorer, Javier Cabrera, was named Man of the Match. Fortunately, the injury sustained by Eduardo Darias — who was substituted during the game — proved not to be serious; he is expected to be sidelined for approximately two weeks. We received a prize of €233.370 from the international governing body for participating in the playoff round, and the group stage draw is scheduled for March 16.

Apertura – 6th round: PENAROL – CERRO LARGO

After our successful international cup match, we returned to domestic league action, hosting Cerro Largo — a team sitting in eighth place in the standings. Naturally, a win was expected, but due to fitness concerns, I had to make several changes to the starting lineup: Guzmán Rodríguez started in the heart of the defense instead of Martín Gianoli, Ángel González played on the right flank in place of Leonardo Fernández, and Javier Cabrera was given the nod on the left wing to replace the injured Eduardo Darias. We started the match looking a bit sluggish, lacking the necessary freshness, and for a long time, we struggled to create chances against the visitors, who were sitting deep. In the 26th minute, we were awarded a free-kick from the middle of the opposition's half; Javier Cabrera floated the ball into the box, where my center-back Guzmán Rodríguez — who had moved up for the set-piece — controlled it elegantly on his chest before firing into the far bottom corner from eight meters out, giving us the lead (1–0). In the 36th minute, following a beautiful attacking move — during which we worked the ball almost entirely around the opposition's defense — Franco González received the ball 25 meters from goal and played a brilliant, perfectly timed pass to the onrushing Ángel González; after a quick touch, he fired a low shot into the bottom right corner (2–0). In the 40th minute, I was forced to make a substitution as Byron Castillo picked up an injury; Pedro Milans took his place. We played a somewhat more restrained game in the first half, yet thanks to a brilliant individual effort and a fine piece of team play, we headed into the dressing room with a commanding two-goal lead. In the 56th minute, I made a triple substitution: Andrés Madruga replaced Léo Coelho, Damián García came on for Sebastian Cristóforo, and Maximiliano Silvera took Leonardo Sequeira’s place. In the 62nd minute, the visitors pulled a goal back completely against the run of play; Rabino fired a clearance into the left side of our net from 14 meters out. Fortunately, we responded quickly to the setback: in the 66th minute, Damián García played a superb pass to Javier Cabrera, who had found space inside the box, only to be brought down by a defender. Substitute Maximiliano Silvera confidently converted the rightly awarded penalty, making it 3–1. I used my final substitution in the 75th minute, bringing on young Santiago Álvez for Ángel González. We created several more promising chances in the closing stages but failed to score again, securing a 3–1 victory that kept us at the top of the table with a three-point lead over Nacional. Byron Castillo, who was injured during the match, has been ruled out for three weeks.

The draw for the Copa Sudamericana group stage:

The draw for the Copa Sudamericana group stage took place on March 16, placing our team in Group C alongside:

• Brazil's Fortaleza,
• Argentina's Tigre,
• Bolivia's Blooming.

Only the group winner advances automatically to the Round of 16, while the runner-up must win an additional playoff round to secure a spot among the top 16. We received a prize of €840.134 for reaching the group stage. We will begin the competition against our two main rivals: first playing away at Argentina's Tigre, followed by a home match against Brazil's Fortaleza in April.

Apertura – 7th round: WANDERERS - PENAROL

In the next round, we traveled to face Wanderers, who were sitting in 11th place in the league. Damián García was injured during one of our pre-match training sessions, ruling him out for another four weeks. Despite our absences, we started the match well; in the 3rd minute, Maximiliano Olivera took a corner with a beautifully flighted delivery, but Leonardo Sequera — who was moving in to meet it — was shoved away from the ball with two hands by his marker, resulting in a penalty. Sebastián Cristóforo confidently converted the spot-kick, giving us an early lead — 1–0. In the 27th minute, Maximiliano Olivera surged down the left flank and crossed into the box; the defenders headed the ball straight up into the air, and it dropped right into the path of the lurking Javier Cabrera, who had no trouble slotting it home from three meters out — 2–0. In the 38th minute, the home side scored from their first meaningful attack; following a move down the right wing and a subsequent cross, Matías Fonseca found the back of our net — 2–1. We went into the break with a one-goal lead and made no substitutions during the interval. We started the second half brilliantly; at the end of a magnificent attacking move, Javier Cabrera carried the ball down the left to the byline and delivered a perfect low cross to Leonardo Sequera, who smashed it into the net from five meters out — 3–1. In the 49th minute, Leonardo Sequeira quickly scored his second goal of the match; during an intense high press, he intercepted a short back-pass to the goalkeeper, gained possession, rounded the keeper, and rolled the ball into the empty net from ten meters out — 4–1. Midway through the half, I made several substitutions, taking off all the forwards and giving a chance to the youngsters. We continued to dictate the game, and this paid off in the 91st minute when José Neris converted a pass from Pablo Nongoy from close range — making it 5–1. Leonardo Sequera, who scored twice, was named Man of the Match. With this latest big win, we remained at the top of the table with a perfect 100% record, maintaining our three-point lead over Nacional.

Apertura – 8th round: PENAROL – MONTEVIDEO CITY TORQUE

In the final match of the month, we hosted Montevideo City Torque, who sat in 10th place in the standings heading into the round. We started the match intensely; in the 2nd minute, Eduardo Darias — returning from injury — fired a shot from 14 meters out that struck the woodwork with tremendous force. In the 5th minute, our other winger, Ángel González, found himself in a great position, but his shot toward the far post also rattled the frame of the goal. In the 21st minute, Maximiliano Olivera took a corner from the right; his delivery found Martín Gianoli rushing toward the near post, but the center-back was pulled down by his marker, resulting in a penalty awarded by the referee. Sebastián Cristóforo smashed the spot-kick into the right side of the net with great power — 1–0. We doubled our lead in the 36th minute when Sebastián Cristóforo played a clever pass to Ángel González; this time, González didn't miss his second clear-cut chance, neatly finishing at the near post — 2–0. We headed into halftime with a two-goal lead and a confident performance, having not allowed our opponents a single shot on target. We effectively sealed the match in the 60th minute: during an attack down the left flank, Franco González received a pass from Maximiliano Olivera, dribbled into the penalty area, and fired a superb shot into the far corner from 13 meters out — 3–0. In the 75th minute, the visitors reached the area in front of our goal for the first time and scored from their very first chance: following a cross from Teuten, Matías Cabrera found the net from close range past Aguerre – 3–1. In the 81st minute, substitute Leonardo Fernández surged down the right flank and aimed a cross at Leonardo Sequera, but a sliding defender brought Sequera down from behind, prompting the referee to award a penalty without hesitation. Leonardo Fernández, who had already excelled as the provider, confidently converted the spot-kick – 4–1. In the 92nd minute, Leonardo Fernández scored his second goal of the match, firing a spectacular shot from 18 meters out following a pass from Javier Méndez – 5-1. We secured another emphatic victory, with substitute Leonardo Fernández — who put in an outstanding performance — named Man of the Match. Thanks to this result, we remain at the top of the table, extending our lead over Nacional to 5 points, as they only managed a draw away against Plaza Colonia in this round.

Monthly summary:

We also finished the month of March with a flawless record, winning all four of our league matches; furthermore, we won the crucial playoff game against Defensor Sporting, thereby qualifying for the group stage.

We performed excellently in the five matches played this month, recording a goal difference of 15–3. We attempted a total of 112 shots across these games, while our opponents managed only 19. We scored our 15 goals from an Expected Goals (xG) figure of 16.15, meaning we actually slightly underperformed relative to our expected goal tally. In contrast to our 16.15 xG, our opponents posted a combined xG of just 2.20 across the five matches, from which they scored 3 goals. We averaged 61.00% possession, and our corner-kick ratio for the month was 60–13.

Martín Gianoli and Leonardo Sequera topped the team's goal-scoring chart with 6 goals each, followed by Leonardo Fernández with 4. Franco González led the way in assists with 7, followed by Ángel González with 4 and Eduardo Darias with 3.

Financially, we closed the month with a profit of €1.069.635, and our balance at the end of the month stood at €2.404.490. Both the management and the fans rated my performance to date as a "B".

2023. APRIL

April promised a significantly more demanding schedule, with 7 matches ahead — 5 in the league and 2 in the Copa Sudamericana group stage. In the Copa Sudamericana, we faced the group's two toughest opponents right away: Argentina’s Tigre away and Brazil’s Fortaleza at home — two matches that promised to be crucial for our chances of advancing. Meanwhile, the first phase of the league — the Apertura — is entering the home stretch; I want to maintain our flawless record so far and keep charging toward the Apertura title.

Apertura – 9th round: RACING DE MONTEVIDEO – PENAROL

For the first match of the month, we visited Racing de Montevideo, who sat in fifth place in the league. When selecting the starting lineup, I kept the midweek international cup match against Tigre in mind, so I made a few changes. Young Randall Rodríguez started in goal, Guzmán Rodríguez came into the defense, and Javier Méndez took a spot in midfield, while I rested several key players. True to expectations, we began the match with a dominant performance, consistently keeping the ball in the opponent's half and creating chances. In the 15th minute, Eduardo Darías won the ball decisively on the left flank inside the opposition's half; after a quick one-two with Maximiliano Olivera, he received the ball back, drove into the penalty area, and neatly fired a shot into the far bottom corner from 14 meters out — 1–0. We doubled our lead in the 35th minute when Maximiliano Olivera beautifully curled a free-kick from 20 meters out into the near top corner — 2–0. In the 39th minute, we launched another attack after winning the ball at the halfway line; Leonardo Sequeira flicked the pass down to the onrushing Ignacio Sosa, who broke through on goal and cleverly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper — 3–0. In the 45th minute, the home side executed a quick counter-attack, which Axel Pérez converted into a goal — 3–1. I made three substitutions at halftime — Martín Gianoli, Maximiliano Olivera, and Franco González all left the pitch to get some rest. We remained the more proactive side after the changes, but for a long time, nothing happened. Then, in the 82nd minute, a long cross from Eduardo Darías on the left flank found substitute Pedro Milans, who scored a spectacular goal from 15 meters out — making it 4–1. The home side pulled another goal back in the 90th minute when Hugo Magallanes headed the ball into our net following a corner — 4–2. Despite conceding two goals, we secured a comfortable victory; this ninth consecutive win meant we remained at the top of the table with a perfect record. Among our pursuers, both Nacional and Liverpool won their matches in this round, so our leads over them — 5 and 8 points, respectively — remained intact.

Copa Sudamericana - Group Stage: TIGRE – PENAROL

We kicked off the group stage away at the home of one of our major rivals, the Argentine side Tigre. I had calculated beforehand that securing at least a draw in this match would be crucial, as the battle for the top two spots would likely come down to a contest between us and Brazil's Fortaleza. Accordingly — injuries aside — I fielded the strongest possible lineup. The match began rather quietly; the game was defined by a tactical battle, with few genuine chances created in the opening half. Then, in the 30th minute, we took the lead following a fine attacking move: from the left flank and the middle of the opposition's half, Maximilano Olivera delivered a cross-field ball spanning roughly 40 meters into the danger zone; Ángel González timed his run perfectly to meet it, blasting a first-time shot into the home team's net from eight meters out — 1–0. We stayed on the attack after the goal, doubling our lead in the 36th minute; Byron Castillo surged down the right flank and fired a ball into the center, where Franco González arrived to score with an unstoppable shot — 2–0. In first-half stoppage time, Byron Castillo once again skillfully worked his way to the byline; although the defenders blocked his powerful cross, Franco González pounced on the rebound to score again — 3–0. We thus headed into the break with a confident lead and a result far better than anticipated. I made several substitutions in the 60th minute. In the 62nd minute, following a throw-in from the left, the opposing defenders struggled to clear the ball inside the penalty area; Franco González pounced on the loose ball, took a touch, and scored his third goal of the match from eight meters out — making it 4–0. In the 75th minute, the home team pulled a goal back through Juan Cruz Esquivel, concluding a well-worked move — 4–1. Later on, Martín Gianoli hit the woodwork with a header, but the scoreline remained unchanged; led by Franco González, we secured a commanding and valuable away victory over the Argentine side with a convincing performance. In the group's other match, Brazil's Fortaleza defeated the Bolivian team Blooming 1–0 at home, leaving us at the top of the group after the opening round. We received a prize of €93.348 from the international governing body for the victory achieved in the group stage.

Apertura – 10th round: PENAROL – DEPORTIVO MALDONADO

We hosted Deportivo Maldonado, a team performing significantly worse than expected and sitting in just 14th place. Just before the match, a key pillar of our defense, Martín Gianoli, was sidelined; due to injury, he would be unavailable for four weeks. We started the match excellently: in the 3rd minute, following a corner from Franco González, a visiting defender blocked the ball with his hand, and Sebastián Cristóforo converted the resulting penalty — 1–0. The visitors equalized unexpectedly in the 26th minute; at the end of a sporadic counterattack, Maximiliano Cantera fired the ball into our net from close range — 1–1. After conceding, we stepped up the pace; in the 36th minute, following an attack down the left flank, Mathías de Ritis blasted a cut-back from Javier Cabrera into the visitors' net from 15 meters out — 2–1. We doubled our lead in the 45th minute: Léo Coelho met Franco González's corner at the near post and scored with a fine header — 3–1. We thus went into the break with a more comfortable lead. I made one substitution at halftime: Maximiliano Olivera replaced Mathías de Ritis, who had played well but picked up a minor injury. In the 57th minute, Leonardo Sequeira scored another goal, but the referee disallowed it for offside. None of this dampened our striker's spirits; a minute later, latching onto a pass from Javier Cabrera, he bore down on the goalkeeper one-on-one and scored our fourth goal with a cheeky chip — 4–1. After the goal, I made three more substitutions, yet we continued to press the attack. In the 78th minute, the visitors attempted a cross from the left; our goalkeeper, Randall Rodríguez, punched away the high ball, but it unfortunately fell to an opponent, and Renato César tapped it into the empty net — 4–2. Despite this, we secured a very comfortable victory, with our opponents managing only three shots throughout the entire match. As a result, we remained at the top of the table with a perfect record after ten rounds, while our lead over Nacional grew to 7 points and our advantage over Liverpool to 10, as both teams only managed draws in this round.

Apertura – 11th round: DEFENSOR SPORTING - PENAROL

Next, we visited the home ground of Defensor Sporting, a strong side currently sitting fourth in the standings. Leonardo Fernández returned to the squad for the match following his injury. We started the game on the front foot but struggled to create any clear-cut chances. Then, in the 33rd minute, the hosts scored from their first attack: during a move down the left flank, Lucas Agazzi met Nicolás Rodríguez’s cross at the far post and headed the ball into our net — 0–1. Fortunately, we responded quickly; in the 35th minute, Leonardo Fernández dribbled skillfully into the penalty area and played the ball into the middle, finding Leonardo Sequeira — who had made a run into open space — to equalize from close range — 1–1. Despite the equalizer, we found ourselves in trouble again in the 37th minute when Maximiliano Olivera committed a completely unnecessary and rough foul near the halfway line, earning a red card. Being a man down forced me to reorganize the team, with Mathías de Ritis replacing Eduardo Darías. Following the sending-off, the hosts took control of the match, and in stoppage time of the first half — the 48th minute — they regained the lead through a Renzo Giampaoli header from a corner — 1–2. After the break, the hosts continued to dictate the play, though we did manage to carve out a few chances of our own. In the 65th minute, Ignacio Sosa unleashed a thunderous shot from 25 meters out, but the ball rattled the crossbar. In the 69th minute, substitute Javier Cabrera made a brilliant run down the left flank; Leonardo Sequeira met his cross in the middle but was pulled down by defenders, prompting the referee to award a penalty. Leonardo Fernández confidently converted the spot-kick – 2–2. In the 76th minute, Leonardo Fernández was injured again, and since I had no substitutions left, we were forced to play the final fifteen minutes with a two-man disadvantage. The home team kept us under constant pressure, but thanks to heroic defending, we managed to prevent them from scoring again, securing a valuable draw given the circumstances. Despite dropping points, we remained at the top of the table; with four rounds left in the Apertura, our lead had narrowed to 5 points over Nacional and 8 points over Liverpool. Leonardo Fernández, having suffered a recurrence of his injury, was sidelined for another five weeks.

Copa Sudamericana - Group Stage: PENAROL – FORTALEZA

In the second round of the group stage of the midweek international cup match, we hosted the Brazilian side Fortaleza; it was a crucial fixture for our hopes of advancing. We started the match with numerous errors; in the 11th minute, the visitors intercepted a loose pass near the halfway line and launched an attack down the right flank. As they sent in a cross, Guzmán Rodríguez attempted a clearance but made unfortunate contact, and the ball rolled off his foot into our own net, giving the visitors the lead — 0–1. We had to wait until the 37th minute for the equalizer, which came at the end of a fine attacking move when Ángel González converted a pass from Eduardo Darías — 1–1. The goal visibly restored our confidence; in the 40th minute, following a corner kick, Leonardo Sequeira fired a ball hard into the center from the right, and Franco González met it perfectly to score — 2–1. Thanks to those two late goals, we went into the break with the lead. I made no changes to the lineup at halftime; the first substitutions took place in the 60th minute, with Javier Méndez and Damián García replacing Sebastian Cristóforo and Ignacio Sosa in central midfield. The visitors equalized in the 67th minute when Pikachu smashed a cleared free-kick into our net — 2–2. The team responded well to the goal we conceded; in the 70th minute, Byron Castillo carried the ball down the right flank to the byline, and Eduardo Darías made an excellent run to the far post to meet the cross, finding the net from close range — 3–2. For the remainder of the match, we effectively stifled the Brazilians' attacks, and the visitors were unable to create any truly serious chances. We finally sealed the match in stoppage time — in the 95th minute — when substitute Damián García blasted a ball, which had been headed clear by the defenders, into the net from 25 meters out — 4–2. Thus, we managed to win this crucial match, having defeated our two biggest rivals in the opening two rounds. Consequently, we topped the group with 6 points. We received another prize of €93.348 for the victory.

Apertura – 12th round: PENAROL – CA CERRO

The home match against CA Cerro served as the first test of the Apertura’s final stretch — the last four games — and we took the field as clear favorites. True to expectations, we started with a dominant performance that paid off: in the 13th minute, Eduardo Darías scored from a Bryan Castillo cross to give us the lead (1–0). In the 22nd minute, Damián García suffered an injury and was replaced by Valentín Silva. We extended our lead in the 29th minute when Mathías de Ritis headed the ball into the visitors' net following a free-kick taken from the flank by Franco González. The score remained unchanged for the rest of the first half, so we went into the break with a comfortable advantage. I made no substitutions at halftime, only beginning to rotate the squad in the 60th minute. We sealed the match in the 70th minute when a shot from 23 meters out by substitute Andrés Madruga deflected off the defenders, wrong-footing the goalkeeper (3–0). In the 86th minute, my young substitutes combined for another goal: Andrés Madruga provided the assist again, sending a pass to Stiven Muhlethaler near the corner flag; Muhlethaler cut inside, dribbled past two defenders, and neatly fired the ball into the far bottom corner (4–0). With this goal, my young player broke the Uruguayan top-flight record, becoming the youngest goalscorer of all time. Thanks in part to his goal, we secured another emphatic victory, thereby remaining at the top of the table; with 3 rounds left in the Apertura, our lead remains 5 points over Nacional and 8 points over Liverpool.

NEW CONTRACT:

On April 28, 2023, the club's management offered me a new contract with unchanged terms regarding my salary; naturally, I accepted the offer — as I had serious ambitions with the team — thereby extending my contract until June 30, 2024.

Apertura – 13rd round: PENAROL – BOSTON RIVER

The home match against Boston River was a game we were expected to win. We took the field with that mindset, pinning the visitors back against their own goal from the very first moment. We created chance after chance and won a succession of corners but failed to find the net; the woodwork saved the visiting team on two occasions. The breakthrough finally came in stoppage time of the first half — in the 46th minute — when Ignacio Sosa converted a pass from Byron Castillo with a low shot from eight meters out (1–0). We dominated the entire half (outshooting the opposition 17–0), yet we only held a one-goal lead at the break. Immediately after the restart, in the 47th minute, we were awarded a penalty after Eduardo Darías burst into the box at high speed and was brought down by a defender. Ángel González confidently converted the spot-kick (2–0). We continued to attack relentlessly, and in the 86th minute, our substitutes combined for another goal: Javier Cabrera scored a fine goal following a pass from Mathías de Ritis (3–0). Our victory was never in doubt, and the result kept us at the top of the table; with two rounds remaining in the Apertura, we maintained a 5-point lead over Nacional, while extending our advantage over third-placed Liverpool to 11 points. As a result, we needed just one point from the remaining two matches to secure the Apertura title — though obviously, that isn't the goal; I want to win the Apertura with the biggest possible margin so that I also have a greater advantage in the overall standings.

MONTHLY SUMMARY:

We concluded the month of April with a nearly flawless record: we won 4 league matches, drew one, and kicked off the Copa Sudamericana group stage with two victories.

We performed excellently in the 7 matches played this month, recording a goal difference of 25–9. We attempted a total of 153 shots across these games, while our opponents managed only 53. Our 25 goals were scored from an Expected Goals (xG) value of 20.94. In contrast to our 20.94 xG, our opponents posted a combined xG of just 5.83 across the 7 matches, yet they managed to score 9 goals. We averaged 59.57% possession, and our corner-kick ratio for the month was 84–24. Leonardo Sequera led the team's scoring chart with 8 goals, followed by Martín Gianoli, Franco González, Eduardo Darías, and Ángel González, each with 6 goals. In terms of assists, Franco González performed the best with 9, followed by Eduardo Darías with 5.

Financially, we closed the month with a profit of €977.818, and our balance at the end of the month stood at €3.382.309. Both the management and the fans rated my performance to date as a "B".

2023. MAY

We had only 4 matches scheduled for May, which was certainly good news; the relentless fixture list and injuries meant I had to place increasing emphasis on squad rotation, and our depth was slowly beginning to run thin. The Apertura concludes this month — a title we absolutely must clinch after such a sensational start — and we also have 2 Copa Sudamericana group stage matches to play, both against the group's weakest side, the Bolivian team Blooming. Securing the projected 6 points against them should effectively guarantee our progression from the group, allowing us to push for the top spot in the final 2 matches and thereby avoid an extra playoff round.

Copa Sudamericana - Group Stage: BLOOMING - PENAROL

For the third match of the group stage, we traveled to Bolivia to face Blooming. We started the match excellently; in the 3rd minute, Eduardo Darías found the net — capitalizing on a loose ball amidst a scramble following a corner kick by smashing it home from eight meters out — but we were denied the celebration as the goal was disallowed for offside. The hosts launched their first attack in the 8th minute, during which Jonathan Lacerda scored a spectacular goal, blasting a shot from 26 meters out into the top-left corner — 0–1. After conceding, we dominated play and created constant chances but were unable to find the back of the net. Football punished us, however; at the end of a sporadic counterattack in the 33rd minute, the hosts scored again through Arquimedes Figuera — 0–2. We kept up the pressure until halftime, but our finishing remained poor; despite taking 18 shots, we went into the break trailing by 2 goals. In the dressing room, I urged the players to show greater concentration. I made substitutions only in the 55th minute, taking off several players who were underperforming. In the 60th minute, substitute Javier Cabrera brilliantly created a clear-cut chance for himself, but his powerful shot struck the woodwork. Léo Coelho also picked up an injury in the 66th minute. My players pushed forward valiantly and did everything they could to score, but nothing went our way that night; we couldn't even manage a consolation goal against the hosts. Consequently, we suffered our first defeat of the season, despite attempting 34 shots during the match. More concerning than losing our unbeaten record was the fact that Léo Coelho would be unavailable for 5 weeks due to his injury. In the group's other match, Fortaleza drew at home against Tigre, so we remained at the top of the group.

Apertura – 14th round: LA LUZ - PENAROL

After returning from a disappointing international cup match, the team faced an away league fixture against La Luz — the bottom-placed side that had managed only 3 points from 13 games — a match we were essentially obliged to win. A victory was particularly important as it would mathematically secure the Apertura stage title. On the positive side, although Léo Coelho was sidelined for over a month, the other key figure in our defense, Martín Gianoli, returned from injury for this game. Following the midweek cup match, I rotated the squad in several positions, fielding a mixed starting lineup. We dominated the first half and enjoyed clear superiority, yet signs of fatigue were evident; we simply lacked sharpness and failed to convert our most promising attacks, heading into the break at 0–0. In the 55th minute, I made several substitutions, a move that proved to be a winning tactic: in the 58th minute, amidst a scramble following a wide free-kick, Leonardo Sequeira passed to substitute Ángel González, who blasted the ball into the net from close range — 1–0. A minute later — almost immediately after the restart — Ignacio Sosa won possession at the halfway line and played a long ball to Ángel González, who scored his second goal of the match by smashing a spectacular shot into the home team's net from 14 meters out — 2–0. In the 68th minute, Gastón Ramírez — who had also come on as a substitute — took a corner from the right; Martín Gianoli, returning from injury, met the delivery with an unstoppable header that found the back of the net (3–0). In the 76th minute, Sebastián Cristóforo took a corner from the left, and Martín Gianoli once again rose emphatically to head the ball home (4–0). In the 79th minute, Ángel González bamboozled the defenders on the right flank; his through-ball allowed Gastón Ramírez to break free from the defense and neatly finish into the far corner (5–0). For a long time, we couldn't find the back of the net, but then two quick goals decided the match; ultimately, we overwhelmed our opponent and secured a commanding victory. With this win, we clinched the Apertura championship title! 

Nacional also won in this round, so our lead over them remained 5 points, while our advantage over third-placed Liverpool swelled to 13 points.

The Apertura victory also meant securing our spot in the year-end championship semi-finals, where we will face the winner of the Clausura stage, while the team finishing first in the overall standings awaits us in the final — a scenario I obviously want to avoid, as my goal is to win the championship title in the Clausura as well. 

Apertura – 15th round: PENAROL - LIVERPOOL

In the final round of the Apertura, we hosted Liverpool, who sat third in the standings. Although we had already secured the title for the first 15-game phase of the championship in the previous round, the match was far from meaningless; teams carry their points over from each phase to form the aggregate table, so I wanted to finish the Apertura with the largest possible points advantage. The team started the match with this mindset: in the 9th minute, Martín Gianoli played a beautiful through-ball to Maximiliano Olivera — who was cutting inside from the left — and Olivera fired a powerful shot into the far bottom corner from 14 meters out (1–0). Our left-back didn't stop there; in the 16th minute, he scored his second goal of the match by heading in a corner kick from Franco González (2–0). We scored our third goal in the 19th minute: on the right flank, Ángel González played a perfectly timed pass to Franco González, who had broken free from the defenders and neatly slotted the ball past the helpless goalkeeper from 8 meters out (3–0). The onslaught continued as Ángel González provided his second assist of the match from the right in the 28th minute, floating the ball to the far post where Eduardo Darías arrived perfectly to score (4–0). The visitors pulled one back in the 33rd minute when Diego García scored from close range following a corner kick from the right (4–1). In stoppage time of the first half — the 49th minute — we were awarded a penalty after defenders brought down Ángel González, who was moving in to meet a cross from Eduardo Darías, right in front of the goal. Maximiliano Silvera confidently converted the spot-kick, making it 5–1. We effectively decided the match in the first half, displaying a commanding performance that left no room for doubt. I didn't make any substitutions at halftime. We started the second half with the same mindset, which soon led to another goal: in the 49th minute, Maximiliano Olivera cut inside from the left and played a perfectly timed pass to Eduardo Darías, who was making a run toward goal; our left-sided attacker finished with great composure to net his second goal of the match — making it 6–1. We maintained our dominance for the remainder of the game and created a series of chances, though we did not score again. Thus, we closed out the Apertura campaign with a resounding victory — a true show of strength — against the team sitting third in the league.

FIXTURE OF THE INTERMEDIO:

The league race did not pause after the Apertura, as the championship’s middle phase — the Intermedio — followed; our team was drawn into Group A alongside: 

• Defensor Sporting,
• Cerro Largo,
• Racing de Montevideo,
• River Plate Montevideo,
• Centro Atlético Fénix,
• Danubio,
• Deportivo Maldonado.

During this phase, which consists of just seven matches, we will play each of our group opponents once.

APERTURA - SUMMARY:

In the final round, our main rival, Nacional, only managed a draw, allowing us to win the opening stage of the championship with an overall 7-point lead over them. Thanks to the results of the final round, Defensor Sporting ultimately finished in third place, overtaking Liverpool, the team that had just suffered a heavy defeat against us.

APERTURA - TEAM STATS:

We scored the most goals (62) across the 15-match competition, followed by Liverpool (35) and Defensor Sporting (31) in this metric. 

Our average was 4.13 goals scored per match. We also recorded the highest number of shots on target (350), followed on the list by Defensor Sporting (220) and Racing de Montevideo (196). 

We averaged 23.3 shots on target per match. We also led the way in terms of shots allowed to opponents (87), followed in this statistic by Nacional (114) and Racing de Montevideo (126). Our defense allowed an average of 5.8 shots per match.

Regarding passing accuracy, Nacional performed best (89%), followed by Deportivo Maldonado (88%) and Montevideo City Torque (88%).

We also topped the charts for ball possession with an average of 59%, followed by Defensor Sporting (58%) and Nacional (57%).

Danubio recorded the highest number of successful tackles (339), followed by Centro Atlético Fénix (333) and Wanderers (305).

We also completed the most dribbles (248), followed in this regard by Defensor Sporting (211) and Nacional (199). 

Nacional boasted the highest number of clean sheets (7) in the first 15 matches, followed by us (6) and Danubio (5).

Nacional also conceded the fewest goals (9), while we (12) and Danubio (19) finished behind them.

We also stood out from the field in terms of expected goals (xG) with a figure of 51.14; trailing far behind us were Defensor Sporting (28.61) and Liverpool (23.75). 

We scored 62 goals from that 51.14 xG figure, meaning we outperformed our expected goal tally by 10.86 goals.

APERTURA - PLAYER STATS:

We dominated the league in terms of average player ratings, as our players occupied the top-6 spots without exception: 

• Martín Gianoli (7.86),
• Leonardo Fernández (7.58),
• Ángel González (7.43),
• Eduardo Darías (7.35),
• Leonardo Sequeira (7.34),
• Franco González (7.31).

The most goals were scored by: 

• Matías Fonseca (Wanderers – 12),
• Nicolás Siri (Montevideo City Torque – 11),
• Luciano Rodríguez (Liverpool – 10).

In this category, Martín Gianoli and Leonardo Sequeira tied for 4th place with 8 goals each, followed by Eduardo Darías in 8th place with 7 goals. 

Franco González provided the most assists for our team (10), followed by Matías Ocampo (Liverpool – 9) and — also from our squad — Ángel González, who finished with 7 assists.

Copa Sudamericana - Group Stage: PENAROL - BLOOMING

The final match of the month took place in the Copa Sudamericana group stage, where we hosted the Bolivian side Blooming. We had a score to settle with the visitors, as they had pulled off a major upset by beating us on their home turf earlier in the month, and we absolutely needed the three points to keep our hopes of advancing from the group alive. The lads started the match with the right mindset; we earned a penalty in the 5th minute after Ángel González was brought down quite roughly by defenders inside the box. Maximiliano Silvera confidently converted the spot-kick — 1-0. In the 7th minute, Maximiliano Silvera quickly bagged his second goal of the match, finishing off a pass from Ángel González — 2-0. In the 10th minute, Ángel González took another knock, so I substituted him off as a precaution; Javier Cabrera came on in his place. In the 17th minute, Maximiliano Olivera took a corner from the right; Martín Gianoli arrived right on cue — as we can now confidently say is his trademark — and headed the ball beautifully into the net — 3-0. In the 19th minute, Sebastián Cristóforo scored a spectacular goal from a free-kick taken from 26 meters out — 4-0. Despite scoring four goals in just under 20 minutes, the team didn't let up; in the 24th minute, Franco González curled a corner from the left into the danger zone, where Martín Gianoli once again arrived perfectly to score — 5-0. In the 29th minute, substitute Javier Cabrera surged down the right flank and delivered a ball into the middle, where Franco González arrived perfectly from the second wave to ruthlessly finish the chance — 6–0. In the 36th minute, we launched another attack down the right; this time, Bryan Castillo took the ball to the byline and crossed for Javier Cabrera, who connected in the center — 7–0. It didn't end there, however; in the 40th minute, following a pass from Javier Cabrera, Franco González fired a shot from 22 meters out. The ball deflected off the leg of a defender attempting a block and flew unstoppably into the bottom right corner — 8–0. In stoppage time of the first half — the 49th minute — Eduardo Darías dribbled into the penalty area, where a defender attempting a clearance mistimed his challenge and brought him down. Maximiliano Silvera stepped up for the rightfully awarded penalty and made no mistake — 9–0. We produced an incredible first half, putting nine goals past our opponent! I made no substitutions at halftime, waiting until the 60th minute to do so. Mathías de Ritis, who came on then, was immediately injured, so Pedro Milans took his place. In the 75th minute, substitute Pedro Milans — playing out of position at left-back — made a brilliant run down the left flank; several players were waiting for his cross, but the ball never reached them, as it deflected off a sliding defender's leg and into the visitors' net — 10–0. Although the team played at a significantly lower intensity in the second half, we still dominated the pitch; we literally demolished our Bolivian opponents and secured an astonishing 10–0 victory! This 10-goal win marked the biggest margin of victory in the history of the Copa Sudamericana. In the group's other match, Tigre and Fortaleza played out another draw, meaning we retained top spot in the group and extended our lead over the Brazilian side, Fortaleza, to 4 points. We received a prize of €93.348 for the victory. Among the players injured in the match, Mathías De Ritis has been sidelined for 3 weeks, and Ángel González for 1 week.

MONTHLY SUMMARY:

We concluded the month of May with 3 wins and 1 loss; in the league, we secured two victories and won the Apertura with a 7-point lead, while in the Copa Sudamericana group stage, we finished the month with 1 win and 1 loss. 

We performed exceptionally well in the four matches played during the month, recording a goal difference of 21–3. We attempted a total of 104 shots across these games, compared to just 17 by our opponents. Our 21 goals were scored from an xG (Expected Goals) of 15.20. In contrast to our 15.20 xG, our opponents managed a combined xG of only 2.86 across the four matches, yet they still managed to score three goals. We averaged 56.50% possession, and our corner-kick ratio for the month was 53–9. 

Martín Gianoli led the team's scoring chart with 10 goals, followed by Franco González, Eduardo Darías, Ángel González, and Leonardo Sequeira, each with 8 goals. Franco González was the top performer in terms of assists, providing 11, followed by Ángel González with 8. 

Financially, we ended the month with a profit of €344.857, bringing our balance to €3.727.166 by month's end. The board rated my performance to date as a "B-", while the fans gave it a "B" rating.

2023. JUNE

June felt like a real grueling stretch, as the team faced 8 matches: 6 in the league's Intermedio stage and 2 to conclude the Copa Sudamericana group phase. Essentially, I had to play 2 matches every week throughout the month. I was determined to maintain our 4-point lead in the international competition, making the home game against Tigre and the away match against Fortaleza crucial — finishing top of the group meant avoiding the playoff round in the knockout stage.

Intermedio – 1st round: PENAROL – RACING DE MONTEVIDEO

We kicked off the Intermedio stage of the championship at home against Racing de Montevideo, taking the field as clear favorites. We started the match at a high tempo, imposing our will on the visitors from the very first minute. However, in the 10th minute, the visitors took the lead following a counterattack; Nicolás Sosa headed a cross into our net to make it 0–1. After the goal, we created a series of chances but failed to convert them. In the 24th minute, we deployed our "secret weapon": Maximiliano Olivera curled a corner from the right into the danger zone, where Martín Gianoli once again timed his run perfectly to head home the equalizer — 1–1. Our joy was short-lived, however, as Nicolás Sosa found the net again in the 27th minute, finishing a counterattack launched down the left flank — 1–2. We had to wait until the 42nd minute for our next equalizer; Martín Gianoli was the scorer once more, this time heading in a corner delivered from the left by Franco González — 2–2. Just before halftime, in the 45th minute, we managed to turn the match around: following a corner, Maximiliano Olivera collected a cleared ball on the right, drove it to the byline, and fired a sharp pass into the center that deflected off a defender and into the net — 3–2. Given the scoreline at the break, I made no substitutions, and the team took the field with the same lineup. We managed to score another goal early in the second half; in the 48th minute, Ignacio Sosa delivered a superb pass to Eduardo Darías, who scored a fine goal from 12 meters out — making it 4–2. I made my first substitutions in the 60th minute, bringing on, among others, Leonardo Fernández, who was returning from injury. In the 77th minute, we once again executed a tried-and-tested corner-kick routine from the right flank, but Martín Gianoli was unable to get a header on the ball this time as he was pulled down by the defenders. Leonardo Fernández — back from injury — converted the resulting penalty — 5–2. No further goals were scored in the closing stages of the match, so we kicked off the new phase of the championship with a confident victory, immediately moving to the top of the table thanks to our emphatic win.

Intermedio – 2nd round: DANUBIO - PENAROL

Our next league match took place just three days after our home victory; this time, we played away against Danubio, a team that had surprisingly finished the Apertura in only 13th place. We started the match somewhat sluggishly, failing to mount any noteworthy attacks in the opening 20 minutes. Then, in the 28th minute, during an attack down the left flank, Maximiliano Olivera delivered a fine pass to Eduardo Darías, who converted the chance from ten meters out — 1–0. We remained the aggressors for the rest of the half; the home side failed to launch any dangerous attacks, so we went into the break with a one-goal lead. I made two substitutions at halftime, bringing on Mathías de Ritis and Pedro Milans to replace the two full-backs who were struggling with fitness issues. The hosts continued to pose no threat to our goal, yet for a long time, we couldn't find the second goal that would have sealed the match. We finally had to wait until the 81st minute for that moment: substitute Pedro Milans made a brilliant run down the right flank, and Eduardo Darías met his cross to double our lead from close range — 2–0. Thus, we won the match 2–0 — confidently, even if the performance wasn't exactly dazzling. In the championship, our group opponents played their second-round matches at a later date; consequently, although the standings did not yet reflect the full picture, we retained first place with our flawless record.

Copa Sudamericana - Group Stage: PENAROL - TIGRE

Three days after our league match, we hosted the fifth game of the Copa Sudamericana group stage against the Argentine side Tigre. Our opponents had underperformed in the group, securing only 3 points from their first 4 matches; nevertheless — being an Argentine team — they still posed a significant threat. A victory would have taken us a giant step closer to securing qualification and finishing at the top of the group. Due to the heavy schedule and fitness issues arising from the succession of matches, we fielded a reshuffled lineup. The opening stages saw few clear-cut chances, with the game playing out primarily as a tactical battle. Perhaps growing bored of this, Maximiliano Olivera — playing as a center-back in this match — made a somewhat unexpected 50-meter surging run from the halfway line; he then squared the ball from the byline, and Leonardo Sequeira fired it into the visitors' net from three meters out — 1–0. In the 38th minute, Leonardo Fernández stepped up for a free-kick from 28 meters out. Everyone expected him to blast the ball at goal, but instead, he cleverly rolled it to Damián García, positioned just outside the penalty area; after controlling the ball, García unleashed a powerful, low shot into the bottom left corner — 2–0. We thus held a 2-goal lead at halftime. I made a substitution at halftime: Diego Sosa, returning from a long-term injury, replaced Mathías de Ritis — who was struggling with fitness issues — at left-back. We effectively sealed the match in the 62nd minute when Eduardo Darías chipped a superb ball to Leonardo Fernández, who was making a run between the defenders; Fernández then scored a fine goal from 15 meters out — 3–0. We finally broke the Argentine team's resistance in the 68th minute when Franco González played Leonardo Sequeira through; Sequeira then netted his second goal of the match — making it 4–0. In the 82nd minute, Damián García pounced on a ball poorly cleared by the defenders and passed to substitute Valentín Silva; after controlling the ball 18 meters out, Silva fired a spectacular shot into the top right corner — 5–0. We dealt the final blow to the Argentines in the 90th minute: Pedro Milans made a run down the right flank and crossed into the center, where defenders pulled down Leonardo Sequeira as he attempted a header. Leonardo Fernández smashed the resulting penalty into the net — 6–0. Thanks to a strong performance and ruthless finishing, we secured a massive victory over our Argentine opponents. In the group's other match, Fortaleza defeated Blooming away from home, but this had no bearing on the group standings, as our win had already mathematically guaranteed us first place. We received another €93.348 in prize money for the victory.

Intermedio – 3rd round: CENTRO ATLÉTICO FÉNIX - PENAROL

On Matchday 3 of the Intermedio stage, we visited Centro Atlético Fénix — a team we had previously thrashed 8–0 during the Apertura, also away from home, on the very opening day of the championship. Given that history, we traveled there as clear favorites, though I was well aware that this would be a completely different match. Our preparations were hampered by the fact that Damián García picked up an injury sidelining him for two weeks just before the game. Due to fitness issues caused by a heavy schedule and various injuries, we fielded a significantly reshuffled lineup, yet I remained confident that — even with several key players rested — we could secure a victory on this trip. The team started the match exactly as I had hoped, playing with an attacking mindset from the very first minute; we came close to taking the lead in the 9th minute when Ángel González struck the woodwork with a powerful shot. In the 14th minute, Leonardo Sequeira scored a fine goal, but it was disallowed as he had started from an offside position. We maintained the pressure but failed to break the deadlock. Then, as often happens in such situations, our opponents took the lead out of nowhere: the home side won a penalty from their first meaningful attack after Maximiliano Olivera pulled down an opposing forward who was moving onto a cross in front of goal. Nicolás Queiroz converted the seemingly legitimate penalty — 0–1. Towards the end of the half, we won a succession of corners and pinned our opponents back in front of their own goal, but we couldn't find an equalizer. I didn't change the lineup at halftime; I simply asked the team to up the tempo. Since there was no significant improvement, I made 3 substitutions just over 10 minutes later, taking off several players who were underperforming. Even after the substitutions, an equalizer remained elusive for a long time, but in the 75th minute, my substitutes combined to find the net: Maximiliano Silvera fired home a pass from Javier Cabrera — though the referee disallowed the goal for offside. Following this second disallowed goal, we switched to a purely attacking formation, and I used up my remaining 2 substitutions. We kept pressing the attack, and it finally paid off in the 91st minute when Maximiliano Silvera headed a cross from Maximiliano Olivera — delivered during an attack down the left flank — into the home team's net from 6 meters out. We couldn't manage another goal in the remaining minutes of stoppage time, so we returned home with a somewhat disappointing result, having dropped two points against a significantly weaker team. While we did salvage a draw in the dying moments, the run of play suggested we should have won comfortably; for instance, the shot count was 20–2 in our favor. Despite dropping points, we remained at the top of the table — albeit having played one extra match — though our lead over Defensor Sporting had shrunk to just 1 point.

Intermedio – 4th round: PENAROL – DEPORTIVO MALDONADO

Following a midweek away league match, another league fixture awaited us over the weekend; this time, we hosted Deportivo Maldonado, a team we had already defeated in our pre-season friendly and during the Apertura campaign. However, I was without 8 players for this match due to international duty — specifically Byron Castillo, Martín Gianoli, Ignacio Sosa, Franco González, Randall Rodríguez, Pedro Milans, Andrés Madruga, and Joaquín Ferreira. Additionally, Eduardo Darías was ineligible to play against his parent club due to a loan agreement clause, Mathías de Ritis was serving a suspension for accumulated yellow cards, and injuries had further depleted the squad. Given these circumstances, we started the match with a heavily makeshift lineup, yet we still sought to assert the dominance we held over the visitors from the very first minute. In the 15th minute, we orchestrated a beautiful attack down the left flank; Diego Sosa made a surging run to the byline and fired a powerful cross into the danger zone, where Leonardo Fernández arrived at the far post and made no mistake from 2 meters out — 1–0. We maintained our attacking momentum after taking the lead, which soon resulted in a second goal: in the 30th minute, Leonardo Fernández — having already scored — provided an assist by cutting the ball back from the byline to Javier Méndez, who struck a magnificent goal from 10 meters out — 2–0. We extended our lead further in the 41st minute; Leonardo Fernández once again provided the assist, but this time Pablo Nongoy finished the attack with a shot from 14 meters out — 3–0. We effectively settled the outcome of the match during first-half stoppage time: in the 46th minute, Maximiliano Silvera moved in to meet a cross from Pablo Nongoy but was knocked down by defenders, earning us a penalty. Silvera himself stepped up to take the spot-kick, blasting the ball powerfully into the right side of the net — 4–0. We headed into the dressing room at halftime with a highly convincing four-goal lead. I made three substitutions during the break, aiming to give playing time to squad members who had seen significantly less action so far this season. Our momentum didn't falter after the changes; in the 54th minute, Javier Méndez skillfully dribbled into the penalty area and cut the ball back to substitute Valentín Silva — arriving in the second wave — who scored a spectacular goal from 18 meters out, making it 5–0. After our fifth goal, the visitors pulled one back in the 56th minute through Maximiliano Cantera, capping off an impressive attacking move — 5–1. We continued to control the game for the remainder of the match, though no further goals were scored. Despite having numerous players missing, we delighted the home crowd with a confident victory. Thanks to this win, we remained at the top of the table, extending our lead to 3 points over Defensor Sporting, who have played one match fewer.

Intermedio – 5th round: PENAROL – CERRO LARGO

Our grueling schedule continued; another league match awaited us within just four days, as we hosted Cerro Largo on Matchday 5 of the Intermedio stage. We had previously beaten this opponent 3-1 at home during the Apertura season. With only three matches remaining in this middle phase of the championship, I needed to secure positive results to give us a chance of finishing at the top of the table for this period as well. Although the players called up to their national teams had returned, most came back fatigued; consequently, none made the starting lineup, and several were not even included in the matchday squad. We converted the match's first major opportunity into a goal — or so we thought — when Maximiliano Silvera headed in a cross from Leonardo Fernández in the 11th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside. We dictated the play for the remainder of the half, yet we failed to create any truly significant chances, and the teams headed into the dressing room deadlocked at 0-0. I made no substitutions at halftime, waiting until the 55th minute to make changes, as I saw no real improvement in our attacking play during the opening stages of the second half. The three substitutions shook up the team; in the 59th minute, Leonardo Sequeira — who had come on just moments earlier — neatly fired the ball into the bottom left corner from 15 meters out, but the referee disallowed the goal due to offside. Finally, in the 68th minute, we managed to score a legitimate goal: Javier Cabrera, another substitute, took a free-kick from the right and lofted the ball to the far post, where the referee awarded a penalty following a foul on Maximiliano Olivera as he was preparing to head the ball. Sebastian Cristóforo stepped up to the ball and confidently converted the chance – 1-0. In the 81st minute, following a throw-in from the left, Diego Sosa received a return pass from Javier Cabrera, carried the ball into the penalty area, and scored a fine goal from ten meters out – 2-1. Immediately after our second goal — and completely out of the blue — the visitors pulled one back through Facundo Núñez – 2-1. We ultimately won the match 2-1. The most important thing was the victory itself and securing the three points that came with it. The other teams in our group did not play again, so we headed into the next phase leading the table by 6 points — albeit having played two more matches than the others.

Intermedio – 6th round: DEFENSOR SPORTING - PENAROL

We played our final league match of the Intermedio stage this month — a crucial away fixture against Defensor Sporting. The match was vital because our opponents were tied with us in terms of dropped points (trailing us by 6 points but having played 2 fewer games). A victory would have brought us significantly closer to winning the Intermedio stage, especially given that we had only one match remaining in this phase of the championship after this game. The match began with very few chances; neither team created a serious scoring opportunity until late in the first half. Then, in the 39th minute, we were awarded a free-kick from 26 meters out, which Leonardo Fernández brilliantly curled into the top-left corner — 1–0. We quickly doubled our lead: in the 43rd minute, following a corner taken by Franco González from the left, Martín Gianoli — returning to the squad after an injury — headed the ball into the home team's net — 2–0. The team didn't stop there; in stoppage time at the end of the half (47th minute), a scramble ensued in front of the home goal following a wide free-kick, and Leonardo Fernández was the quickest to react to the loose ball, firing it into the net from close range — 3–0. Thanks to this, we headed into the dressing room with a very comfortable three-goal lead. I didn't make any substitutions at halftime, but a few minutes later I made four changes and gave several young players a chance to play. We remained the more proactive side after the substitutions, though no further goals were scored for a long time. Then, in the 79th minute, my substitutes proved their worth: Pablo Nongoy scored our fourth goal from a pass by Javier Méndez – 4–0. We dealt the final blow to our opponents in the 89th minute when, at the end of a fine attacking move, Leonardo Fernández completed his hat-trick off a pass from Eduardo Darías — making it 5–0. Naturally, we remained at the top of the table following this emphatic victory, holding a 7-point lead over Racing de Montevideo — who had risen to second place but had also played two fewer matches than us.

Copa Sudamericana - Group Stage: FORTALEZA - PENAROL

The final match of the month took place in the last round of the Copa Sudamericana group stage, where we visited the Brazilian side Fortaleza. Fortunately, the match was of no consequence for us, as we had performed excellently in the first five games and had already secured the top spot in the group regardless of the final result. Naturally, for the sake of prestige and our reputation, we could not afford to simply roll over for this match. We had beaten our opponents 4–2 at home, but the game held little significance for them either, as they had already secured second place in the group. Given these circumstances, we fielded a heavily rotated squad. It would be an exaggeration to say we started well; the Brazilians took the lead from their very first chance in the 18th minute, when Juan Martín Lucero headed the ball into our net following a corner kick (0–1). For a long time, we struggled to mount any meaningful attacks, but we began to find our footing after the half-hour mark. As a result, in the 36th minute, we managed to equalize through Franco González, who scored off a pass from Eduardo Darías following an attack down the left flank (1–1). Our joy was short-lived, however, as the home team regained the lead three minutes later, scoring through Tinga during an attack that originated from a throw-in (1–2). Despite trailing at halftime, our situation wasn't hopeless, though I made two substitutions because some players were putting in very poor performances. I made another two changes in the 55th minute as fitness issues began to surface — this being our eighth match of the month. Despite the substitutions and bringing on fresher players, the home team scored again in the 60th minute; Marinho found the net at the end of an attack down the right flank, making it 1–3. To make matters worse, in the 74th minute, our opponents were awarded a penalty after Pablo Nongoy committed a foul inside the box, but Randall Rodríguez pulled off a brilliant save to deny Marinho from the spot. The home team delivered the final blow in the 94th minute when Marinho scored their fourth goal on the counter-attack, bringing the score to 1–4. Overall, the team put in an abysmal performance that evening, suffering our heaviest defeat of the season; fortunately, however, the result had no impact on our standing — we had already comfortably won the group and secured a spot in the last 16 of the international competition. Incidentally, the performance of the Argentine side Tigre was a major disappointment in the group; they managed to pick up only 3 points and finished in last place.

MONTHLY SUMMARY:

We concluded June with 6 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss; in the Intermedio stage of the championship, we secured 5 wins and 1 draw, while in the Copa Sudamericana group stage, we finished the month with 1 win and 1 loss. With one round remaining in the Intermedio, we sit at the top of the table, and we have won our group in the Copa Sudamericana.

We performed excellently in the eight matches played this month, recording a goal difference of 27–9. We attempted a total of 146 shots across these games, compared to just 58 by our opponents. Our 27 goals were scored from an Expected Goals (xG) value of 22.12. In contrast to our 22.12 xG, our opponents managed an xG of only 8.03 across the eight matches, yet they scored 9 goals from those chances. We averaged 58.00% possession, and our corner-kick ratio for the month was 70–36.

Martín Gianoli continued to lead the team's goal-scoring chart with 13 goals, followed by Leonardo Fernández (12 goals) and Eduardo Darías (11 goals). Regarding assists, Franco González remained the top performer with 14, followed by Maximiliano Olivera with 10. 

Financially, we closed the month with a profit of €997.504, and our balance at the end of the month stood at €4.749.369. Both the management and the fans rated my performance to date as a "B".

Really liking the detail you have put into your posts, but part of me would liked them to be broken down further.

Makes it easier to understand. But that's just my opinions. Keep up the good work.

2023. JULY

2023. AUGUST