Lasarte Steps Down as Nacional Head Coach After Latest Defeat

Martín Lasarte is no longer the manager of Club Nacional de Football following Sunday’s 2-1 home defeat to Juventud de Las Piedras in the Uruguayan Apertura. The club announced the departure via social media, stating that the decision was made by mutual agreement. Lasarte ends his third stint with the team, having secured seven official titles across his tenures.

The match saw Nacional play with ten men for nearly the entire game after captain Diego Polenta was sent off early. It marked the team’s sixth winless match in nine outings, a poor run that led to a swift decision. Following a post-match meeting between Lasarte and club president Ricardo Vairo at Gran Parque Central, the separation was confirmed. In this latest spell, Lasarte oversaw 41 matches, collecting 25 wins, 11 draws and just 5 losses, winning both the Torneo Intermedio and the Supercopa Uruguaya against Peñarol.

Martín Ligüera, currently part of the club’s sporting department, will step in as interim coach for Nacional’s Copa Libertadores debut against Atlético Nacional this Wednesday. The squad is scheduled to travel to Colombia on Monday. Meanwhile, the club is actively pursuing a new manager, with Boston River boss Jadson Viera emerging as the leading candidate. Viera had already been considered in December before Lasarte’s extension was confirmed.