In this exclusive interview with Flashscore, the former Uruguay captain opens up with zero filters about the turbulent dawn of Qatar's PSG takeover, the intense demands of the Premier League, and his unfiltered, drop-by-drop verdict on South American and European football.
Back in 2011, Valencia and Juventus were on the line to get you, but you chose PSG in the end, right at the start of Qatari investments. What was the main motivation for it?
"I have always believed that when you are very comfortable in a place, you need a change, a new challenge to start from zero.
"At Sao Paulo, I was an idol, having won everything, and right at my peak, I decided to go to Turkey. Nobody in Brazil understood it, but I wanted to start from scratch. In Turkey with Fenerbahce, I also became a reference point, and again, at my best moment, I chose to leave.
"The PSG project was just beginning in 2011, and I was exactly the first foreign player to arrive under QSI and Leonardo. That was what motivated me: the experience, starting from zero, and taking on a new challenge. I was nearly 32, but I still had the desire to make history."
You left one and a half years later, do you have any regrets? How was it inside the club at the start of this new era?
"It's a very long and rich story.
"When I arrived, PSG was practically a neighbourhood club. Its infrastructure and ambition were infinitely inferior to Fenerbahce or Sao Paulo, yet the QSI project was giant.
"Leonardo brought me in to use my experience to manage the transition between the old Parisian dressing room and the new 'Galactico' one that was coming. It was an enriching but difficult experience because the club simply wasn't prepared.
"My first big argument with Leonardo was that PSG couldn't have such a basic, amateur locker room and gym if they wanted to host top-level players. There wasn't even a club official to help a player find a house or a school for their kids; I had to do that myself. When Maxwell, (Ezequiel) Lavezzi, and Thiago Silva arrived, it was the Uruguayan who showed them which schools or neighbourhoods to choose.
"Apart from the huge salary, PSG incredibly didn't offer the minimum structure a professional player needed.
"I don't have regrets. If you ask the leaders of the project today, they still thank me for my leadership during that crucial transition."
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You spoke to Luis Suarez and Gus Poyet before joining West Bromwich Albion, and both gave you a positive impression of the club. Looking back, did your experience at West Brom live up to what you expected when you first arrived, and what do you remember most fondly from your time there?
"At that time, I was an experienced player and had offers to sign in Italy for two to four years, specifically with Chievo Verona and Cagliari, as well as multi-million offers in South America from Gremio, Cruzeiro, Corinthians, and Flamengo. But I chose the Premier League because I couldn't finish my career without experiencing the best league in the world, and I have absolutely no regrets.
"Although I unfortunately suffered a definitive knee injury at the 2014 World Cup which ended my time at West Bromwich, that year allowed me to understand the structure, mindset, and management of the English football industry.
"Today, as president of the Uruguayan players' union, I constantly use that year in the most professional league in the world as a benchmark to improve football in my country."
You scored your first and only Premier League goal against Everton in what was Pepe Mel's first home game in charge of West Brom. What do you remember about that night, and how important was that moment for you personally?
"It’s always nice for a defender to score, even though I scored 65 goals in my career!
"... More than the goal itself, what I remember most from that night is the professionalism, the structure, and the intense competitiveness of English football. I’m very grateful to Albion and to Steve Clarke, who originally brought me there.
"Oh, and I also remember marking a young Belgian striker named Lukaku that day. He had a lot of strength, almost as much as me; almost, because he was young, so I could still control him. I don't think I could do that today!"
Diego Forlan has just taken over as Uruguay’s coach after the World Cup. You were the captain of the national team during one of the most successful generations in Uruguay’s recent history. What do you think Forlan needs to bring back or change for Uruguay to compete at the highest level again?
"We came from a 15-year process with Oscar Tabarez, where there was massive respect for the idiosyncrasy and history of Uruguayan football. Then, with Marcelo Bielsa, the focus shifted entirely to a tactical, analytical, and statistical ideology, but unfortunately, the history, the players, and the human being were forgotten.
"As long as football is played by human beings and not artificial intelligence, human relationships will remain more important than tactical knowledge.
"With Forlan, we aim to bring back respect for our roots, the dressing room, and the daily dialogue between player and coach, ensuring the players feel comfortable."
Forlan is now going to coach several players who were his teammates until recently. Having known him for so many years, do you think that relationship can be an advantage because of the knowledge he has of the players, or could it make things more difficult when he has to make tough decisions inside the dressing room?
"It is always a huge risk for an idol of his stature to take this job, because in football, unless you are Pele, Messi, or Cristiano Ronaldo, you usually lose more than you win, and the criticism will eventually come. But Uruguay desperately needed someone to unite the environment and bring back our footballing roots after Bielsa, which unfortunately was a failure."
Forlan had previously said that Luis Suarez could still be an option for Uruguay, but he ultimately left him out of his first squad. Did that decision surprise you, and would you have called Suarez up if you were in Forlan’s position?
"I wasn't surprised that Suarez didn't go to the World Cup, because his relationship with Bielsa wasn't good. Suarez comes from our generation; we are players with a different character, accustomed to saying things strongly, directly to people's faces. That isn't as normal today, and it led to major clashes with the coach."
Do you think Luis Suarez can still make an important contribution to Uruguay on the pitch, or is his biggest value to the national team today his experience and influence off the pitch?
"With his talent and endless competitiveness, he absolutely has a place in the national team on the pitch. It was proven at the World Cup: in certain stretches against teams like Cape Verde or Saudi Arabia, Uruguay created 17 to 20 goal-scoring situations, but we didn't have a player who could put the ball in the net. That made his absence very clear."
Uruguay had a generation led by players such as Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Diego Godin and yourself, who had a very strong influence both on and off the pitch. Do you see Federico Valverde as the natural leader of this new generation of Uruguay? What qualities does he have that make him suited to that role?
"Federico Valverde is technically a leader, but he hasn't been able to replicate what he does at Real Madrid when playing for Uruguay.
"Being the captain of Uruguay is different; it’s another history, another culture. It requires a captain to be attentive 24 hours a day to everything happening, not just on the pitch but in the dressing room, with the families, and with the federation.
"That heavy responsibility has penalised Valverde. If he didn't have that specific burden in Uruguay - unlike at Real Madrid, which is the biggest club in the world but operates differently - he could perform much better. We should demand that he plays well and leads on the football pitch, but not force him to carry all the other historical burdens of a Uruguayan captain."
A few months ago, you said Argentina had benefited from refereeing decisions during the 2022 World Cup and that Messi had received different treatment from referees. After everything that has happened since then, do you still feel exactly the same way, or has your opinion changed, even partially, with time? Beyond Qatar, do you believe Messi received different treatment from referees throughout his career because of his status, or was his influence simply so great that every decision involving him received much more attention?
"My comments caused a huge controversy, especially in Argentina. But look at 2010, for example: Uruguay had a great national team, we deserved to be in the final, and we were clearly penalised by refereeing decisions. The same happened in Qatar; Uruguay was penalised. What I said was that at the highest level, status is very important.
"When a decision relies simply on the referee's perspective or interpretation, the status of the player or the national team makes all the difference. Great players who reach that status do so on their own merit, and they get that benefit.
"I don't think it's wrong; it's a perk that all football legends have had throughout history."
You played for Sao Paulo for several years and know Brazilian football very well, but you also know Argentine football. Looking at the current situation in both countries, where do you think the most competitive football in South America is today: Argentina or Brazil?
"I have my history in Brazil. I live there and I am very happy there. Today, Brazil is a massive powerhouse at the club level, both economically and in football terms.
"If a talented young Uruguayan asks me for advice today, unless they are going to a top team in Europe, I tell them it is much better to play in the Brazilian league. It’s hyper-competitive, thrilling, and full of the pressure and adrenaline that we players love. Plus, the social and family life is very pleasant.
"That’s why today, 30% of the Uruguayan national team plays in Brazil rather than Europe. They earn better salaries, compete fiercely, and are socially much happier than they would be playing for mid-tier European teams."
You were Uruguay’s captain during a generation that was known for having a very strong personality and identity. Do you feel there are fewer true leaders inside dressing rooms today than there were during your generation? What makes a player a true leader inside a dressing room? Is it something you are born with, or is it something you can develop over the years?
"I had the privilege of captaining players like Suarez, Cavani, Forlan, Godin, (Martin) Caceres, and (Fernando) Muslera. Even today, when they write to me, they still call me 'captain'.
"I believe I was the captain of the last generation not influenced by social media. That has changed everything. I saw it recently at the World Cup in the US: it is impossible today for young players to communicate or converse the way we did.
"We knew everything about each other, from our families to how we thought, what we felt, what we wanted, and what we didn't want. Today, because of technology, that is impossible.
"I’m not saying it's for better or for worse, it’s just different. The world has changed, and it affects everything from a dressing room to the communication between a father and a son."
How did your passion for wine begin, and what value do you place on your collaboration with Fabio Cordella for "The Wine of the Champions"? What connects this project with your relationship with Italy?
"I come from a region in Uruguay called Canelones, a very Italian name. My family has Italian roots, with names like Lugano and Moquetti. The region is heavily influenced by Italian culture, and vineyards, grape harvests, and wine have been part of my family's life forever. Growing up, my annual job as a teenager was always the grape harvest and making wine. So, I’ve had this connection my whole life."
Uruguay finds its symbol in Tannat, but Italy offers an extraordinary variety. What are the differences between the South American and Italian wine cultures?
"The Uruguayan Tannat definitely identifies us, but that is heavily dictated by our climate, seasons, and temperature. We rely on Tannat as our strength for climatic reasons.
"However, the true culture of wine comes from Italy. The decades and centuries of Italian experience in producing and making wine make all the difference. Nothing in the world can replace experience, especially in something as complex as wine, which requires centuries of learning and knowledge."
Emanuele Giulianelli is an Italian freelance journalist and author working for Flashscore since 2026. He has collaborated with some of the world’s leading newspapers and media outlets, establishing himself as a recognized voice in international sports storytelling and analysis.