Oscar Tabarez SACKED As Uruguay Coach After 15 Iconic Years In Charge.

Legendary Uruguayan coach Tabarez, has been sacked as head-coach of the national team after 15 iconic years in charge.

The Association of Uruguayan Football (AUF) announced on Friday that the 74-year-old coach leaves the dugout following his team's poor performance in World Cup qualifying stages.

After a run of four consecutive defeats, Uruguay are currently in seventh place in CONMEBOL's 10-team South American qualifying group for the World Cup games in Qatar 2022, a tournament they have won twice in 1930 and 1950 respectively.  

Tabarez leaves the team one point behind Colombia who are fourth (the last spot to progress automatically) in the group table.

They have four matches remaining to redeem themselves and make it the next year's showpiece.

Uruguay have managed to score just one goal, conceding 11, in their last four matches that included defeats to Brazil, Bolivia and twice to Argentina.

The AUF in a statement announced his departure from the position saying;

“The executive committee of the AUF has decided to end the contract of Oscar Washington Tabarez and other members of the national team coaching staff,” 

"We express our respect and acknowledgment to (his) professionalism and dedication for such a long process," the statement added.

The AUF described it as a “difficult decision” that in no way “disavows Tabarez’s important contribution to Uruguayan football.”

The former Milan and Cagliari manager Tabarez, was in his second stint in the Uruguay national team job (first was in 1988-90), including at the last three World Cups, he helped Uruguay to a semi-final finish at the World Cup tournament in South Africa 2010. He also won the Copa America in 2011.

The Uruguayan soccer federation has not announced a replacement for Tabarez.