Modesty, discretion, respect, humility, balance, are some of the countless words with which, during these 15 years, they have defined Oscar Washington Tabárez.
As time went on, the concepts changed. In the early years they referred to football terms. Today he has earned respect from elsewhere. A phrase from Jorge Valdano is the most eloquent example. It refers to aspects of education: “Tabárez is as concerned with educating the man as he is with educating the player. He never overreacts, never seeks to create a scene”.
The fool Marcelo Bielsa He defined it by saying, “He has the gift of discretion, without having to impose himself through means, but through his arguments”. And the former president Jose Mujica He praised him, saying, “Knowing how to win knows everyone, the problem is to stay calm and dignified when you lose and that has great value.”.
This is how I see the teacher: the opinion of a chief executive, the players who went through his process and the view from the outside.
Marcelo bielsa
“Master Tabárez is a faithful representative of the fact that he is Uruguayan or, at least, of those values that we Argentines attribute to our neighbors: balance, common sense, sincerity, modesty. He has the gift of discretion, without having to impose himself through means, but through his arguments. He convinces by being intimately convinced of what he proposes and supports. He managed to be a referential figure who favors sincerity, throwing demagoguery, achieving closeness without shortening the distance “.
(Foreword to the book Maestro, Tabárez’s legacy)
José Mujica, former President of Uruguay
“The lesson that Tabárez taught us about coherent work, collective work, simplicity and humility. I have never seen it magnified, always going to the collective preparation and the effort that must be made. Let’s not underestimate our opponents or In Uruguay we are hypercritical of everything and I have never seen Tabárez in a destructive attitude towards anyone, I have never seen him, sometimes pointing out a mistake I made, the other one, but “We never destroy anyone. Never. For me, that’s an example. I’d like to see Tabárez’s attitude as a true collective legacy. And the first things we should learn are politicians, of course. We should learn enormous lessons.” from Tabárez’s attitude and we would do a lot of good to this country, a lot of good.Never complains and there will be no explanation for defeats on this side.And there is an interesting thing because he paints it whole.There was a tradition in As the Uruguayan opportunity, the Uruguayan claw and quite a bit. wrong game and that doesn’t run with Tabárez. Take out the spear? Do not! Are we getting our tongues out of exhaustion? Yes! And know how to lose, which is one of the most difficult things in life. Because everyone knows how to win, the problem is to keep calm and dignity when you lose and that has an extraordinary value. He was also tasked with sowing this idea: it is a sport, not a war, giving it the real value that things have. For all I summarize: for me he is a Master with a large letter ”.
(The Way Book is the Reward)
Diego Forlan
“Every footballer tries to fulfill his dreams, to achieve sporting success and, most importantly, to leave his mark. Throughout my career and thanks to the effort, perseverance and dedication I have managed to achieve many achievements and distinctions both personally and as a group. But beyond the prizes, the legacy and what is left in people is the most important thing. For this reason, being one of the main champions of the selection process led by Master Tabárez since 2006, he is immeasurable. Everything I experienced from qualifying, Copa America 2007, World Cup 2010 in South Africa, where I lived what was, without a doubt, my best football moment, being the champions of America in Argentina in 2011, the Confederations Cup since 2013, the World Cup in Brazil. 2014 … accumulates many experiences and too many memories. Faced with all this, there remains a sense of satisfaction for what I have achieved in sports, but especially for what it has generated in the Uruguayan people. Reliving the love for the national team and the fanaticism it has aroused in all generations is certainly invaluable. The great person responsible for that path I took was Tabárez. Because he changed everything, he gave us new tools, he unzipped a pressure that had been haunting Uruguay for years, he created a group, he instilled values and, if that wasn’t enough, he managed to make us play at equality against any rival. The nine years in which we had the Master as leader, undoubtedly marked a great learning process ”.
(Foreword to the book Maestro, Tabárez’s legacy)
Diego Lugano
“He is an honest guy who does not direct his beliefs to anything and anyone. Tabárez sets a goal and is not moved by the girls who are managed in this country. If you have honesty, conviction, organization, intelligence, projection into the future and pretend that values are the most important thing, you can transfer it to other areas.He has the idea to transfer that message to people and he realized it.In the Celestial Complex I saw him fight and ask them to build a semitecho on the grill and for the players to does not get wet, so to sleep decent mattresses, so that the ground is in good condition, so that there is no mud on the alley, so that the bricks are not unpainted, so that the Internet will work. serious, frontal and straight, in a few words, but correct. It is difficult for him to say anything more or to err in a concept. he is open to listening. “
(Supplement What happens in El País)
Jorge Valdano
“The first person to raise the flag of normalcy is Master Tabárez, a nice leader. When faced with a group of players, rather than a display of power, the only means of leadership acceptable to him is one based on knowledge and a strict sense of justice. And justice can only be provided through meritocracy. Tabárez is the embodiment of the typical Uruguayan and knows the human and professional qualities of his players like no other after 12 years in office. Tabárez is as concerned with educating the man as he is with educating the player. He never overreacts, never seeks to create a scene: the best example of this is his words after the defeat in France: “this dream is over, others will come.” Football in its rightful place in society. This Uruguay is the proud daughter of its football history and its way of understanding the game. They said goodbye, leaving everything: it may not be enough to win, but it is enough to know that there are no regrets or reproaches ”.
(The Guardian 2018)
Diego Godin
“If I had to define him, his nickname would be what he is. He was a Master to us. What generates, the respect, that peace, for us and for the outside, is what we have learned and what it transmits to the group. That mixture of wisdom, peace, knowing what to say at the right time. In the most deceived moments, having that right word to convey confidence and it was all the way. Not everything was pink, I had ups and downs, but he always had the right words. The master was more than a coach for us, he was a model of values. And what really identified us, makes us respect you, that sometimes we continue to deal with you after so many years together ”.
(Master Book, Tabárez’s legacy)
Jose Maria Gimenez
“He is a life teacher, he explains football perfectly, the exact details, he explains the games and how to do damage, he leaves you clear ideas and concepts. One of the best coaches I’ve ever had. He is very open in the business, for example Josema tells me. He always speaks to me, always with a smile, when you have to be seriously normal, but he is a very open person to everyone ”.
(DirecTV)
Sebastian Abreu
“Feeling of belonging, organization, development, methodology, commitment, responsibility, adherence, winning with an idea that you will like or not, but which is clear, raising awareness about what you defend, what is the shirt you get dressed and then what for me It has become the most important thing, is the process in general. To achieve something that – since I can remember – in football has never been generated at the level of the national team, which has always been criticized and which has not been considered fruitful for Uruguayan football and for the Master, against all predictions, was able to strengthen it. While he was coach, five AUF presidents passed. Normally, these processes happen the other way around, four or five coaches go through each president. He did something amazing in this regard. Then the sports results, which are the ones that mark your history. After many years he won a youth championship, he always went to all the U-20 World Cups, there was continuity in the U-17 and at the level of senior teams I was at three World Cups in a row, I was among the best in world with Germany, the Netherlands and Spain, and won a Copa América ”.
(Master Book, Tabárez’s legacy)
Sebastian Eguren
“She is a person I admire for everything she conveys. Your presence gives a lot. It gives you the feeling that you are sitting next to a person who, without saying anything to you, conveys such great things to you that it makes you feel very good. He and the whole coaching staff. He is a coach with whom, after every trip to Montevideo or sharing any call, you left with a new concept. With someone. Football, concepts of life, sport itself. This of life transmits the teachings and throws bridges. And the Master does it ”.
(Master Book, Tabárez’s legacy)
Nicolás Lodeiro
“What the Master and the coaching staff did is that they solved the selection problem. Not only for sports, but also for Uruguayan society. People feel identified, it is part of the thinking they have carried on. They planted a project when they arrived and it pays off. I’m part of this process. By the time they arrived, I was on the youth teams, as well as other players coming under 15. They did the whole process and that hadn’t been seen in a long time. He always kept them young, the young are more important than the older ones, they will be the protagonists, they work well from the bottom, they imposed it, today you can see youth teams, always classifying the world championships, always leading as a national team. bigger “.
(America’s Cup 2015)
LTTE
“You are an inspiration and I do not speak out of commitment. It is very difficult to find a professional with all that longevity, with all the respect that emanates. And it emanates, mainly, for one reason only: great professionals do not win at any cost, they win over the scale of moral and educational values. “
(Technician from Brazil – November 2020)