Uruguay: I see there are more and more Hungarians in the top leagues – Diego Forlán

– How are your days spent? How much do you miss football?
– I enjoy that I have more time than I used to, and now I can spend more time with my family – said in the Nemzeti Sport exclusive interview Diego Forlán who was fired from Penarol's bench last September. – Of course, I miss football, and I hope I can work as a coach again in one of the Uruguayan clubs. In the meantime, as La Liga's ambassador, I try to give as many interviews as possible.

–As a player you were famous for strike the ball strong and well with both legs. Is it true that you practiced kicking the ball against the wall as a professional?
– It is true, and I loved it. Unfortunately, I don't do it nowadays, but it truly helped me kick the ball well with both legs.

–I'm sure many remember your goals at the 2010 World Cup. You scored amazing goals in the quarterfinals against Ghana, in the semifinals against the Netherlands and in the bronze match against the Germans. You were later voted the best player of the tournament, but you've also won many trophies at club and national team level. Which one's the dearest of them all?
– It's difficult to say because all of them are memorable for a reason. Despite, maybe the 2011 Copa América success I'm the proudest of. One, trophies won with the national team is always more valuable than anything else, and two, that match is close to my heart because of my family. My father, Pablo Forlán won Copa América once as a player, and my maternal grandfather Juan Carlos Corazzo won the same tournament twice as a coach. So, we're the only family in the world that's won the continent's tournament four times. It's heartwarming.

–I read that clubwise you recall your time in Atlético Madrid the most lovingly.
– I would rather say that that was one of the most beautiful periods. I loved playing at Atlético, the atmosphere was special, but I also spent great years at Manchester United and Villarreal. These were just as important stops in my career. I recall the Atlético time the most lovingly because that's when the 2010 World Cup was and I became the Spanish top scorer for the second time, and that's when we won the Europa League.

–Whom do you consider the best Uruguayan footballer?
– It would be impossible to name just one person because everyone was determining for different reasons. What matters the most is that we had, have, and will have excellent footballers. But it was my father whom I looked up to during my childhood. I wanted to be like him.

–Many people in Hungary like the Uruguayan national team that plays memorable matches and plays well at World Cups. What's the national team's secret?
– The tremendous amount of work, the fighting spirit and combativeness. These are in everyone who steps on the pitch with the national team. It's a great honor to be able to wear the national team jersey. It goes without saying that the players are doing their best and doing everything they can to make Uruguay more successful.

–The Uruguayan national team has recently played in Hungary too. Did you watch the opening match in the Puskás Aréna in 2019?
– Of course. I try to watch every national team game. It was a difficult clash, but in the end, we won 2-1 with Edinson Cavani's and Brian Rodríguez's goals.

–What else do you know about the current Hungarian football?
– Krisztián Vadócz was my teammate in India and Hong Kong, then he was my player at Penarol. He's an excellent man, and I'm glad he plays in Uruguay. At first, many doubted him, but he proved them otherwise. It's true that since I'm not the coach, he gets a little less opportunity to play, but there can be no complaints about his game. In addition, I see there are more and more Hungarian footballers in the European top leagues. You have a player at Mainz, and of course, I know Péter Gulácsi and Dominik Szoboszlai from Leipzig. The latter is talked about a lot in the international press. He's only 20 years old, but he has great talent and a huge future ahead of him. I'm sure a lot of people would like to follow his example. It would be important for as many young Hungarian players as possible to reach this level, as this would give children even more domestic role models.

Translated by Vanda Orosz