It was unthinkable, unbelievable, unexpected, highly unlikely. And yet – it happened. One of the men who turned the tiny nation of Uruguay into a major footballing force, Oscar Tabarez, has been relieved of his duties by the national football association (AUF).##NAJAVA_MECA_5991717##The 74-year-old coach paid the price for a poor World Cup qualifying campaign. The Uruguayans are in seventh place in the 10-team South American qualifying group. They have four matches remaining to get into top five and claim the all-important ticket to Qatar.The wily old manager has coached the Uruguay national team for 15 years in his second stint in the job, including at the last three World Cups. He led Uruguay to a fourth-place finish at the 2010 tournament in South Africa and has also won the 2011 Copa America.BREAKING:Óscar Tabárez has been discharged as Uruguay manager after 15 years at the helm.Everybody will remember Tabárez for the great work he has done but this decision is the right one, if we take recent years in consideration.Gracias, El Maestro. 💙 pic.twitter.com/11oRfE52ew— Warriors of Uruguay (@UruguayHeroes) November 19, 2021 AUF announced in a statement that firing the man who also coached the national team between 1988 and 1990 was an extremely difficult decision.”We emphatically express that this decision does not imply ignoring the important contribution of Tabarez to Uruguayan football. We salute and acknowledge the fundamental achievements obtained in these 15 years, which once again placed Uruguay in the top places in world football.”Pan American Champion Champion of America World Semifinalist 56% effective in more than 200 games Positive record in World Cups Best Coach of America 2010-11. Best DT in the World 2011 s / the IFFHS FIFA Order of Merit And, above all, the respect of all. MASTER TÁBAREZ. pic.twitter.com/tWwKrL1BZx— Enock Essel Niccolò Makavelli (@KobinaEssar777) November 19, 2021 The Blues have been hammered by outsiders Bolivia on Tuesday by 3-0 – a result that proved the last straw despite Tabarez’s determination not to give up. “I am a professional, I signed a contract and it says everything I need to do. I don’t know who can ask me to resign after this time at work.”Ultimately, the decision wasn’t his to make. There was no need for his resignation because he was sacked.
