A departure from Sporting CP, a transfer for 60 million euros, an arrival at Paris Saint-Germain to change dimension. Manuel Ugarte’s summer turned out to be particularly turbulent. Now under contract until June 2028 with the reigning French champions, the native of Montevideo was quick to adapt to his new environment. “The adaptation was very fast at PSG, and the truth is that it surprised me because it’s a giant club with a lot of stars, a lot of stars who played for the club, as Edinson Cavani said. do. The truth is that I was surprised, but I also felt very confident to face this situation. Now I’m very happy, very comfortable, and I have to continue like this, with a lot of confidence and enjoying the club I’m at. I found that I adapted well, but it’s also thanks to my teammates and the coaching staff who, when they explain things to you, it seems easy and it helps you adapt more quickly”confided the main person concerned at a press conference.
Ugarte, the symbol of the Bielsa era!
Impressive for his debut in the French capital, the Uruguayan with 9 caps has already established himself as a centerpiece of the collective coached by Luis Enrique. Valuable in recovery, breathtaking in his projections, endowed with a warrior mentality and essential in the balance of the Rouge et Bleu, Manuel Ugarte was therefore logically called by Marcelo Bielsa, new coach of the CĂ©leste, to face Chile and the Ecuador as part of qualifying for the next World Cup. When he arrived last Tuesday, the 22-year-old showed his ambitions, while admitting to being pleasantly surprised by the comments made by El Loco, “the madman”, towards him. “I am very happy with what I am achieving at my club and I really want to do the same for Uruguay. It’s always an honor to come to Uruguay and even more so to represent my country. I am fulfilled and very excited”.
And add for ESPN Uruguay : “We had several discussions. I was surprised by the way he analyzed the game and his knowledge about me. It’s important to learn as a player. We talk about various aspects of the game, how we can improve, general situations that concern all players, not just me.. An ultimately successful debut for the former coach of Olympique de Marseille since Uruguay did not tremble to get rid of La Roja on the night of Friday to Saturday (3-1). Established at the heart of the 4-3-3 concocted by “El Loco”, the number 4 of PSG was thus an ideal complement to the Federico Valverde-Nicolas de la Cruz duo. If the Madrilenian particularly stood out by scoring his team’s second goal, the River Plate player scored a double. In the middle of this dominating midfield, Ugarte, for his part, symbolized the Bielsa revolution.
After a generally disappointing 2022 World Cup under the orders of Diego Alonso, Uruguay has entered a new cycle. A new era driven by the Argentinian technician and leading to a major clean-up. Now in the closet, the former members of the CĂ©leste (Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, etc.) have thus made way for the local youth and the first outing of the Uruguayans at the Centenario stadium seems to prove the ex-Leeds coach right. Based on intense pressing and a constant desire to recover the ball in the opposing camp, the dynamic football offered by Bielsa is already attractive. At the heart of these great promises, Manuel Ugarte leaves others even more brilliant… Replacing in Qatar a few months ago, the number 5 of the CĂ©leste is, in fact, gradually establishing itself as an indispensable element. Already starting during the friendly matches played against Japan and then against South Korea last March, the former Sporting CP star once again proved the full extent of his talent against the Chileans.
The local press is inflamed, PSG is rubbing its hands!
Continuing his performances in the French capital, the 1m82 defensive midfielder amazed everyone. As a result, in 90 minutes played, Ugarte touched 69 balls (96% passing accuracy), recovered 15 balls – not to mention his 4 interceptions – and won 10 duels! Impressive statistics for someone who had already scratched 11 balls at the break… A performance logically praised in the local press. As explained El PaĂsUgarte was “the key to recovery”, a decisive sector in the Uruguayan victory. Furthermore, his contribution with the ball was also highlighted: “he played and made others play, opening the field for them”. “Inexplicable feeling. Very happy to wear my country’s jersey again. Good start, I’m already thinking about what’s next”, reacted, for his part, the new pillar of the Celestial. Constantly available for his partners, the neo-Parisian simply shone, confirming his rapid rise in recent months.
A decisive contribution which necessarily did not go unnoticed by Marcelo Bielsa but also by his teammates, who are already fans. Present at a press conference before his team’s victory against Chile, Federico Valverde did not hesitate to paint a glowing picture of his young compatriot. “He plays in one of the best clubs in the world and demonstrates, weekend after weekend, that he is one of the best midfielders, not only in Uruguay, but also in South America, even in the whole world. I would like to learn from him as much as possible, get the most out of him. He’s a very good friend and I think that makes our understanding easier on the ground.”. Strong words confirming the current explosion of the midfielder passed by FamalicĂŁo. One thing is certain, with Manuel Ugarte at this level, Marcelo Bielsa can rub his hands. And what about a certain Luis Enrique, a fan of possession games and high recoveries…
