Martín Lasarte is on track to become the new coach of Nacional after the possibilities of Jorge Bava and Cacique Medina fell through. This would mark Lasarte’s third cycle as the team’s coach.
The departure of Álvaro Recoba as the coach of Nacional following their loss to Cerro in the first round of the Intermedio tournament sparked a search for a new coach to take charge of the team. Initially, there was an attempt to hire Jorge Bava, the current coach of the Mexican team León, but it did not work out. The focus then shifted to Alexander Medina, who has international experience coaching in Argentina, Brazil, and Spain. However, the limited options to acquire quality reinforcements for the upcoming Copa Libertadores round of 16 and the closing stages of the Uruguayan league played a role in the decision not to proceed with his appointment.
Another candidate, Rafael García, the coach of the third division team, was briefly considered before the decision was made for him to lead the first team in their upcoming match against Liverpool. Ultimately, Martín Lasarte emerged as the top choice to lead Nacional. The 63-year-old coach previously managed the Chilean national team and has coached various clubs around the world, including Rampla Juniors, Rentistas, and River Plate.
Lasarte has had two previous stints as Nacional’s coach, winning the Uruguayan championship during his first tenure from 2005 to 2006. He returned to the club in 2016, winning the special Uruguayan tournament before stepping down in 2017. In total, he has overseen 192 matches for the team, with 110 victories, forty draws, and 42 losses, as well as winning a Clausura and an Intermedio tournament.
Lasarte is expected to be accompanied by his assistant coach Marcelo Tulbovitz, with Mauricio Victorino and Esteban Conde likely to join as his coaching staff. The contract is set to run until the end of the year, as a new president will be elected in December. Nacional has not won the league title in the past three election years, with their last championship coming in 2012 under the leadership of Marcelo Gallardo and Ricardo Alarcón.
The club will be hoping that Lasarte can bring success back to Nacional and guide them to victory in the upcoming competitions. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.