{"id":36855,"date":"2026-08-11T02:33:55","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T02:33:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seduiremedia.com\/sports\/international-football\/diego-forlan-leaves-door-open-for-luis-suarezs-uruguay-return-after-taking-over-as-interim-coach-why-not\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T02:33:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T02:33:55","slug":"diego-forlan-leaves-door-open-for-luis-suarezs-uruguay-return-after-taking-over-as-interim-coach-why-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ambassadornews.org\/en\/diego-forlan-leaves-door-open-for-luis-suarezs-uruguay-return-after-taking-over-as-interim-coach-why-not\/","title":{"rendered":"Diego Forlan leaves door open for Luis Suarez’s Uruguay return after taking over as interim coach: ‘Why not?’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Diego Forlan<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s tenure as interim head coach of the Uruguay<\/strong> national team has officially begun, as the legendary striker inherits the responsibility of orchestrating a rebuild following a disappointing 2026 World Cup campaign. Addressing potential roster changes moving forward, Forlan left the door open for an eventual return of former teammate <\/strong>Luis Suarez<\/strong><\/a> to La Celeste<\/em>, asking simply, \u201cWhy not?<\/em>\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n

Originally serving as Uruguay<\/strong><\/a>\u2018s Under-20 head coach, Forlan will step in as interim manager through March 2027<\/strong>, ahead of the Uruguayan Football Association\u2019s upcoming presidential elections. The opening follows Marcelo Bielsa\u2019s resignation after Uruguay\u2019s group-stage elimination from the World Cup, a tournament where the Argentine manager notably excluded Suarez from his squad.<\/p>\n

However, during his introductory press conference, Forl\u00e1n made it clear that Su\u00e1rez remains in his thoughts: \u201cI have enormous affection for Luis and a lot of confidence in him. If he is eligible for selection\u2014he is Uruguayan\u2014so being able to have a player like Luis with that experience\u2026 He has goals in him and keeps showing it every weekend he plays, why not?<\/strong> That will be seen further down the line. Nobody is going to debate who Luis is<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suarez and Forlan famously headlined Uruguay\u2019s memorable 2010 World Cup run to the semifinals, highlighted by Forlan\u2019s Golden Ball performance and Su\u00e1rez\u2019s iconic goal-line handball against Ghana<\/strong>. The attacking duo also shared the pitch at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and led Uruguay to victory in the 2011 Copa Am\u00e9rica in Argentina, securing the country\u2019s most recent major international trophy.<\/p>\n

\"Diego<\/p>\n

Diego Forlan speaks during his presentation as interim coach of Uruguay. (Ernesto Ryan\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Suarez previously made his ceremonial farewell appearance for Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier against Paraguay in September 2024. However, prior to the World Cup, the veteran forward left room for a potential return, stating, \u201cI would never say no to the national team.\u201d<\/strong><\/a> Ultimately, Bielsa opted to leave the Inter Miami striker off his roster for the tournament in North America.<\/p>\n

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\"Cristiano<\/p>\n
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see also<\/p>\n

Cristiano Ronaldo set to rewrite history as Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Luis Suarez, and Karim Benzema pursue the same record<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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When reporters reminded Forlan of Suarez\u2019s willingness to return, the new interim coach reiterated his open-door policy for his longtime teammate. \u201cHonestly, I didn\u2019t know he had said that, but if he did, he is more than welcome,<\/strong><\/em>\u201d he affirmed.<\/p>\n

Suarez\u2019s strong form could fuel international comeback<\/h2>\n

Suarez has reignited his form with Inter Miami after regaining a featured role under head coach Guillermo Hoyos. The 39-year-old forward has made 15 appearances across all competitions in 2026, delivering 10 goals and two assists<\/strong> while demonstrating impressive efficiency in front of the net compared to Uruguay\u2019s current attacking options.<\/p>\n

During the World Cup, Bielsa\u2019s forward line struggled to generate offense, relying on Darwin Nu\u00f1ez, Federico Vi\u00f1as, and Rodrigo Aguirre, none of whom scored any of Uruguay\u2019s three tournament goals<\/strong>. As a result, a potential Suarez return would be fueled not only by his strong club form, but also by Uruguay\u2019s lingering need for proven goalscoring depth up front.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n