Football-lovers, Former Uruguay national team striker, Diego Forlan recently announced his retirement from the world of the skin round. The last club he defended was a Hong Kong club, Kitchee, with his last appearance in May 2018.
Throughout his career, Diego Forlan has been anchored to ten different clubs. He has recorded 274 goals in 698 appearances in all competitions during his 20-year professional career.
In his career, Diego Forlan was once the goal king in the Spanish league. He also won an award as the best player in the world cup in 2010. Together with the national team, Forlan has recorded 36 goals in 112 matches.
Diego Forlan was born 40 years ago or rather on May 19, 1979, in the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo. Forlan was born into a footballer family. The blood of football ran through Forlan’s body, remembering that his father was a soccer player.
His father, Pablo Forlan was the right-back of the Uruguay national team who won the Copa America title in 1967 who was coached by Forlan’s grandfather from his mother, Juan Carlos Corazzo.
As he grew up, Forlan had to live under the shadow of his parents’ success in the world of football. But he didn’t think too much about it and he didn’t even plan to become a soccer player following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. The man whose full name is Diego Forlán Corazzo just wants to be a professional tennis player.
However, a change occurred when a car accident in 1991 struck his older sister, Alejandra and caused his sister’s boyfriend who was also involved in the accident died. The incident occurred when Forlan was 12 years old.
As a result of the accident, the brother had to get quite serious treatment. Forlan’s family fought hard to pay for the treatment until Diego Maradona, an Argentine who was also a close friend of Forlan’s father, donated to help the Forlan family pay for expensive medical care.
On that occasion, at that time also at the age of 12 years, Diego Forlan decided to dedicate his life to playing football to help his sick sister.
“The first thing he (Diego Forlan) told me when I lay in a hospital bed was that he would become a professional soccer player and make a lot of money to take me to the best doctor in the world,” said the brother at the time. (Quoted from the These Football Themes page)
Diego Forlan began his bid to become a professional footballer. Although he is talented in processing the round skin, he began to take football seriously at an older age than most other players, therefore, he must move quickly to catch up with other players.
Shortly after deciding to become a soccer player, Forlan immediately began his career by joining the Penarol youth team. He then moved to Danubio and Independiente.
In 1995, French club AS Nancy offered him a trial when he was 16 years old. But AS Nancy felt that Forlan needed to develop first and return it to Independiente.
Forlan finally made the debut of the senior team Independiente at the age of 18 years. he performed quite well in the four seasons there. By scoring 40 goals in 91 appearances, he attracted interest from several European clubs, one of which was Middlesbrough. They made an offer of 6.9 million, or around Rp. 100 billion, which would be repaid in 18 months. Independiente agreed to the offer and Forlan flew to England.
But on the other hand, the English giants Manchester United are also interested in bringing Forlan. The Red Devils offer the same as the full payment at the beginning along with a higher salary for Forlan. In 2002 Forlan finally decided to move to Manchester.
Together with United, his name slowly became known in mainland Europe, although he only scored a total of 17 goals in 98 appearances for the Red Devils for three and a half seasons. In 2004 Forlan joined Villareal, at this club he began to show his quality as a world-class Bomber. He was transformed into a great footballer.
After defending Villareal, Forlan then strengthened Atletico Madrid, Here Forlan performed neatly by scoring 96 goals in 196 appearances in all competitions in four years. In the 2008/09 season, he also became La Liga’s top scorer. Forlan won two trophies with Atletico namely the Europa League and the European Super Cup.
In 2011 Forlan Hengkang from Vicente Calderon. The next port for Forlan is Inter Milan, International, Cerezo Osaka, Penarol, Mumbai City and Kitchee. Except for Independiente and Inter Milan, Forlan always gives the trophy to the club he defends.
Meanwhile, his best career with the Uruguay national team was when he succeeded in continuing his family’s tradition by winning the Copa America 2011. Now, after no longer being a professional player, Diego Forlan will always be remembered as one of the best strikers of his time.
