Diego Forlán

Diego Forlán, 2014

Diego Martín Forlán Corazo ( born May 19, 1979 in Montevideo) is an Uruguayan football player and most capped player in his country. He was also temporarily scorer of Celeste. Since 2014, the striker plays the Japanese first division club Cerezo Osaka.

Career

Association

Beginnings in Uruguay and Argentina

Forlán, who was a successful tennis player in his youth, his football career (Baby Fútbol ) started in children football at Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club. He then played in the sixth and fifth División at CA Peñarol. From there he moved to Danubio FC - after Forlan's statement to CNN, he played there for a year, for which he took in the fourth División. Danubio he left in 1994, the Club Atlético Independiente. In November 1995 he played at the age of 16 years when his term second division club AS Nancy under coach László Bölöni before, those responsible could clearly but not convincing, even though, according to the active at the time where player Abdeslam Ouaddou Forlan's existing talent was obvious and returned after five months back.

In Independiente he first played in the junior team in the fourth Argentine League and joined with ten goals in Torneo Apertura as top scorer in appearance. Later he came in 3rd División used. In 1998 he achieved under coach the reserve Raul Gordillo the leap into supervised by César Luis Menotti First team played in La Liga. He made his debut on 25 October 1998 against Argentinos Juniors. The career breakthrough in mind however, he was first sent after returning from the 1999 Junior World Championships back in the reserve. Only after the coaching change to Enzo Trossero he came back to the professional team. Instead of attacking this put him in the left side of midfield. In the 2000 /01 season, he completed 36 games ( 18 goals). This was followed by another 18 games with twelve goals scored by the end of 2001. In December 2001 he left Independiente.

Manchester United

Its good goalscoring attracted the attention of European clubs. In January 2002, the CA Independiente with the English first division side Middlesbrough FC was agreed; the amount in excess of 6.9 million pounds was to be paid in 18 installments. But this agreement was not signed by Forlán, because on 22 January 2002 Forlán joined for the same price to Manchester United as a substitute for the migrated Andy Cole. The reason he stated that Manchester offered more money than Middlesbrough.

His debut, the striker on 29 January 2002 in a 4-0 win at Bolton Wanderers when he came on in the 76th minute, Ole Gunnar Solskjær for. His evening for new graduated Diego Forlán on 6 March 2002 in a 4-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur. His first season ended without a goal in 13 league and five Champions League games. In his second season 2002/ 03 he won the English league title with Manchester United. But Forlán scored during his time at the club from Manchester only ten league goals in 63 Premier League games for the English club and three goals in European competitions. With an FA Cup goal and three hits in the Carling Cup he brought it thus on 17 goals during his time with the English. In the season 2003/ 04 he won with the English FA Cup.

Villarreal

In August 2004, Diego Forlán was transferred for a fee of three million euros for Villarreal in the Spanish Primera División. When the Spaniards, he signed a five -year contract. In his first season he was able to for Villareal not accumulate in the European competition, as he had previously been involved in the season in the game against Dinamo Bucharest and Manchester was thus locked for his new club in the UEFA Cup. With 25 goals in the season 2004/ 05, of which only scored a penalty, he passed on the final day to almost the entire season in this evaluation leading scorer Samuel Eto'o in the list and was Spanish scorer. He also won the Golden Boot as top scorer in Europe (shared with Thierry Henry). Also, he was elected that year to the best Ibero-American Player of the Season and thus won the Trofeo EFE Spanish news agency EFE.

In total, Forlán during his affiliation with the yellow submarine 59 matches for the club. He was until its replacement in this position at the beginning of 2011 by Giuseppe Rossi is the most successful scorer in the club's history.

Atlético Madrid

June 30, 2007 Diego Forlan's transfer for 21 million euros was sealed to league rivals Atlético Madrid. In the Merengues, he signed a four- year contract. Through various additional clauses was later further increase the transfer fee by two million euros in the room.

Since April 2008, Forlán with his 68th goal against Almeria at the time according to the number of goals scored Uruguay's most successful in the history of the Spanish League, fueling his compatriot José Luis Zalazar in this ranking list. In that year, Forlán was also honored as Best Ibero- American players in the league. In the 2008 /09 season with 32 Forlán was league goals for the second time Spanish scorer and won again the golden shoe.

In staged in Hamburg final of the UEFA Europa League 2009/10 against FC Fulham he scored both goals for Atlético Madrid, who won 2-1 after extra time. Subsequently, he also received the award for best player of the final. With Atlético won the European Supercup he also in the same year. Early March 2011, then succeeded Forlán entry into the top 10 scorers in the history of the Madrid club because he could produce in 127 league games until achieved at this time 74 hits. These results yield a mean average of 0.58 goals per game.

In a press conference in late August 2011, he took leave from Madrid and raised as highlights of his four years at the Madrid's successful qualifying duel for the Champions League against Schalke 04, the final of the Europa League, the European Super Cup, winning the Golden Boot and the lost final of the Copa del Rey forth. Especially after losing the final the lasting 45 minutes after the game, support of the fans in the stands have a lasting impression on him. The personal support for him and the " Uruguayan " calls in the stadium remained in his memory. He adopted as fans of the club. The club president Enrique Cerezo Atlético described the Uruguayan during the adoption of his new employer Inter Milan as a player with the attributes " superlativo " and " fantástico ".

A total of 96 official matches for Forlán hit in the National League, conducted in European cup competitions including the Intertoto Cup and the Copa del Rey.

The use of statistics Forlan in the Spanish Brussels residents has a total of 134 top-flight appearances with 74 hits, and 46 completed matches of European club competitions ( Champions League including qualifying, UEFA Cup, including qualifications, including qualifications Europa League, UEFA Intertoto Cup and the final of the Super Cup) from where he scored 16 goals.

During his time in Madrid Forlan classified as fifth in the election for FIFA Ballon d'Or 2010.

Inter Milan

On 31 August 2011, Inter Milan were also officially announced the signing of Forlan. Forlan has signed a two -year contract until 30 June 2013. Due to injuries, he came in the 2011/12 season but only irregularly employed. While he was in Serie A after all, used 18 times, scoring two goals, he ran in the Champions League only two encounters (no gate). Seventh place Forlan during his time at Inter fell in the election for FIFA Ballon d' Or 2011, which Lionel Messi won.

SC Internacional

In July 2012, Forlán joined the Brazilian first division side SC Internacional, where he signed a three-year contract until 30 June 2015. There he ran in 47 league games on (13 Campeonato Gaúcho in, 34 in the Série A) and scored 19 goals ( nine: Gaúcho / ten: Series A ). He also contributed three goals in eight uses in the Copa do Brasil. The club itself reported on the day of his contract prematurely end that he had accumulated in 52 appearances for the club, while 22 goals have achieved. A competitive allocation of games has not been done here. In 2013 he won the Campeonato Gaúcho with the Brazilians.

Cerezo Osaka

On January 22, 2014 sparked Forlán his contract with the SC Internacional on and switched to the Japanese J. League Division 1 to Cerezo Osaka, where he signed a contract until 30 December 2014. For the Japanese, he completed so far (as of March 16, 2014 ) three league games ( no goals ).

National

Forlan took part with the Uruguayan U-20 national team at the U-20 World Cup Nigeria 1999, when they finished fourth. His teammates included, among other things, Ernesto Chevantón and Diego Pérez. He also belonged to the trained Víctor Púa squad at the U -20 South American Championship of the same year in Mar del Plata.

2002 Forlán made ​​his debut in the Uruguayan national team at only previous match against Saudi Arabia, scoring his first international goal immediately ( Full 2:3 ). His first major tournament was the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, in which Uruguay already eliminated in the first round and Forlán was used only in the 3-3 draw against Senegal. In 2004 he took part in the Copa América in Peru in part, lost in Uruguay in the semifinals in a penalty shootout against Brazil. In the match won for the third place, he did not play.

In qualifying for the 2006 World Cup Forlán stepped briefly back from his time served by Jorge Fossati national team. For the 2006 World Cup Uruguay not qualified because they lost in the intercontinental play-off against Australia in a penalty shootout after both teams had each won 1-0. In 2007 he took part in the Copa América in part in Venezuela, where he lost in the match for third place with 1-3 against Mexico.

In qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa, he scored seven goals and had thus contributed to the successful qualification. As vice- captain of the Uruguayan national team played Forlán at the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. He and his team reached the fourth place in the tournament, scoring five goals. He was chosen ahead of Dutchman Wesley Sneijder and Spain's David Villa best player of the World Cup and won the Golden Ball.

On 9 July 2011, he played in the match against Chile in the Copa América in 2011 his 78th international game and set a record by Rodolfo Rodríguez. On 13 July 2011, he surpassed the record in their last group match against Mexico and has since been the sole record holder of Uruguay. On July 24, 2011, he first won the Copa America, which had won in 1967 his grandfather as a coach and his father as a player. In the final against Paraguay, he scored two goals, which he scored a total of 31 international goals and thus adjusted to the 81 -year-old record of Héctor Scarone. On October 11, 2011, he met in a World Cup qualifier in Paraguay for the 32nd time in the national team jersey, which he was the sole record holder at this time.

In Confed cup match against Nigeria he earned his hundredth anniversary use. He scored in the 51st minute the score back to 2:1 and was characterized with 34 international game hits - and thus one goal ahead of his teammate Luis Suárez, who had temporarily leveled the record Forlan - once again the sole scorer of Uruguay. In the following game against Tahiti, the regulars spared in the Tabarez for the semifinals, Forlán was not used. Suárez came on in the 69th minute and scored two more goals, which Suárez is now the sole scorer. In the semifinals against Brazil, he had the chance to catch up again through a penalty with Suarez, but his former teammate at Inter Milan Julio Cesar could ward off the penalty. In the penalty shootout, which had the 3rd place match against Italy decided he could not convert his penalty kick. To Uruguay as in 1997 because the Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was also able to hold two further penalty, during the Uruguayan goalkeeper could only hold one, had to settle for 4th place.

On August 14, 2013, he scored in the 4-2 victory against Japan in the 26th and 28th minutes, the first two goals, becoming once again the sole scorer. 52 minutes into the Luis Suarez also scored a goal, and he returned the same with Forlán. Since the game from September 6, 2013 against Peru Suárez has been taken over by two goals scored the lead in the top scorer list. Forlán completed so far 108 caps and scored 36 international goals. His last national provisional application dated March 5, 2014.

Title, Awards and achievements

• English Champion: 2003
• FA Community Shield: 2003
• FA Cup: 2003 /04
• Europa League winner: 2010
• UEFA Super Cup: 2010
• Campeonato Gaucho: 2013

• Fourth in the World Cup 2010
• Winner of the Copa America 2011
• Junior Vice - Champion 1999 South America

• Scorer in the Spanish Primera Liga: 2005, 2009
• Golden Shoe UEFA: 2005, 2009
• Golden Ball of the World Cup 2010
• Inclusion in the All- Star team of 2010 World Cup
• Charrúa de Oro: 2008/ 09, 2010
• Trofeo EFE: 2004/ 05
• As part of the Honors of the best Uruguayan athletes of the period 2009-2010 ( " Deportista del Año " ), he was awarded as the best sportsman of the year 2010 in the category " Football " on 28 March 2011 by the Comité Olímpico Uruguayan Teatro Solís. Moreover, he shared with Marcelo Chirico rider Olímpico the altar for the year 2010.
• In February 2011, the professing Peñarol supporters Forlán honorary membership of the club was awarded. In an interview, the Uruguayans had declared that after a goal is scored (unlike the often sighted behavior of other players) never kissed the crest of his current club since he was Peñarols trailer. Forlán was awarded the membership number 40,000.
• Knight's Cross ( Cruz de Oficial ) of the Orden de Isabel la Católica in 2011

Private and family

Forlán, the father's side due to his lineage born, depending on the source material or in Hondarribia San Sebastian partly grandmother is of Basque origin, comes from a family footballers. Said grandmother wore with the family name Lamarque also such a French origin. His father Pablo Forlán was Uruguayan national team. His grandfather Juan Carlos Corazzo, father of his mother Pilar Corrazo, was coach of Uruguay and played - as well as Forlan's uncle José Pastoriza and Ricardo Bochini - as a professional footballer with Independiente in Argentina. Another uncle Forlan, Forlan Richard, took part with the Uruguayan national team in the Copa América 1975.

Forlán occurs as a family- loving person in the public appearance. He is the youngest of four siblings. One of his sisters is in a serious traffic accident in Montevideo in 1991 severely physically disabled and seated in a wheelchair Alejandra ( Alexandra). For these founded Fundación Alejandra Forlán, 2009, Forlán, which works to improve road safety in Uruguay. His brother, Pablo, also a former, inserted on the back position, but less successful footballer Diego, acting as his advisor on legal matters. He also has a sister named Ramona.

He was engaged to Argentine model Zaira Nara. 40 days before the planned wedding to Forlán separated from the Argentine. On July 2, 2013 Forlán married the 23 -year-old medical student and Uruguayan national team hockey Paz Cardoso. The church wedding was completed on 11 December 2013 in the Parroquia San José de la Montaña.

Forlan has been a UNICEF ambassador. He speaks English and Portuguese and has a working knowledge of Italian and French.