By listening to Sebastián Eguren you know that being on the same team with him must be very enjoyable. His jokster personality makes him stand out in each team as  a well rounded person, and makes it impossible not to highlight that aspect as much as the football skills that got him to play in the first level of football, both in the Uruguayan National Team and Europe.

To play for fun

Sebastián was born in Montevideo on January 8th, 1981. His first experience with soccer was when he was 5 years old in the youth club 'El Hornero' where he made his frist friends and kept a especially good memory of "Pocho", his first coach. "He was the person that presented me with the most beautiful secret of soccer: to play and be happy among friends despite results and technical skill...the best of all," says Seba fondly. With that team, he won the 1986 through 1991 championships.

His performance in Wanderers

He then arrived at the Wanderes of Montevideo, club that would form him and become his home. There he did all the minor leagues to reach the First Division in 1999. It was many years, titles and stories where he was the protagonist.

One he particularly remembers took place when he was in the 7th division, on a trip to Chile to play a Championship: "the best part is that we all returned completely in love, as we swept girls off their feet with out accents and we returned in the longest trip of my life (40 hours by bus) crying because we were leaving our 'girlfriends' behind, he tells with the same ease he explains who they won that championship in Chile.

In his long years in Wanderers he made friends and accomplished sporting titles. He was champion of the 5th division of the Opening Tournament and the Metropolitano, and in the 4th division won the Uruguayan Championship in the B division, agyer wining the Opening and the Closing Tournaments. Sebastián remembers fondly the friends he made in Wanderers and keeps to today Diego Bonilla, Sergio Blanco, Germán de Armas, Fabio Pereyra, Diego Irigoyen, Juan Martínez and his 'brother', 'Profe' Richard González. "I forget some of the kids I grew uo with and with whom we had a ball, but these are my best friends'. 

But in the learning process during the inferior leagues of Wanderers there were also bad moments, but as time goes by, you remember them with more humo. 'One regrettable moment is throwin a rock at a mate during a break. Poor Tato!' laments Seba. Or a riot during a friendly match against Bella Vista in which Seba wound up with an exposed fracture of the arm during a fall: 'that was a losing game' he jokes.

While playing in the Wanderers First Division, he obtained the Opening and Closing Championship of 2000 and the Uruguayan of the same year, along with the club moving up to First Division. He was part of the team that won the pre league in 2001 and the following season he did a great campaign reaching quarterfinals. Sebastián was the captain in that team; something that came naturally to him because of his temperament. This makes him equally important on and off the field. But if one had to highlight skills that define him as a player that would be his intelligence, offensive vocation and good air game. In spite of being a midfielder who is good at marking the opponent, one of the main characteristics of his game is his tendency to score goals.

A tricolor dream

2003 would be the year in which he would accomplish his dream of wearing the jersey he has adored since he was a child: Nacional's. That is why when asked about his favorite gift ever he remembers a bike and his first Nacioanl uniform (jersey, shorts, and stockings).

His passion for Nacional allowed him to be the 'pet' in some matches of the club when he was a child. Seba remembers an anecdote that took place when he played in the 5th division of Wanderers against Nacional: 'I swore before the match that if I scored a goal I would not celebrate it; I was and I am a fan of Nacional, but I scored one and celebrated it as it was the last one. Not a man of his word, Sebas', he said ironically, with humor.

In Nacional, he was coached by Daniel Carreño, the same coach that was in Wanderers and who he knows well. In the tricolor he obtained the Opening 2003 and Closing 2004 championships. The door to Europe would open, although during the first semester prior to leaving for Europe he briefly played again for Wanderers, his first home. 

The recongnition in Europe

In July 2005, the Norwegian Ronsenborg welcomed him; he landed there at one of the club’s worst moments and had few chances to plat. That caused that he be lent to the Hammarby of the Sweden League. He was there to strengthen the team in the last weeks of the tournament and earned the love of the fans as one of the most prominent players: he scored 5 goals in 14 matches and was a pillar of the Hammarby midfield which was third in the tournament.

Seba’s level at the Hammarby gave him the chance to change for the better when in 2008 the Spanish Villarreal took an interest in him. He arrived at the club upon the request of Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini, when the team was in the top positions of the prestigious Spanish League and competed in the European Champions League. Quickly, Sebastian made a place for himself and along Marcos Senna made a solid midfield duo.

The great Villareal campaign, in line with the capping to the Uruguayan National Team, caused the interest of the Italian Lazio. However, when Seba was already training with his new teammates the negotiations came to a halt; the Lazio president argued alleged health problems. His return to the Villarreal did not turn out to be what he had expected as he had lost his chances of being a starter.

Finally, trying to get more minutes on the field in light of the World Cup, Eguren was lent to the Swedish AIK Solna, rival of his former club. “I could not stay at the Villarreal doing nothing and miss out on the World Cup just to get a better salary. It was stupid”, said Sebastian to journalist Diego Munoz of 180.com at the moment.After participating with the national team of the 2010 South Africa World Cup, in July 2010 Sebastian signed a contract for three seasons with the Real Sporting of Gijon, club where he has settled as starter and is one of the club’s referents for not only the squad but also for the fans.  

National Team

Eguren debuted in the Uruguayan national team on July 13th 2001, against Bolivia for the Copa America which took place in Colombia. He substituted for Rodrigo Lemos. The coach at the time was Victor Pua, and Uruguay obtained the 4^th place in the tournament.

After the Copa America, he participated of several friendly matches prior to the 2002 World Cup but due to an injury, he could not make the final roster for the tournament which took place in Japan and Korea.

Later on, Sebastian participated of two more friendly clashes, capped by interim coaches, against Venezuela in 2002, under Jorge Orosman Da Silva, and against Japan, in 2003, under Gustavo Ferrin. During the following five years, the player was not capped to take part of the national side by coaches Juan Ramón Carrasco, first and Jorge Fossati later on.

 

The perfect conclusion

In 2011 Seba, along with his Uruguayan national team mates, reached a well-deserved prize after a 5 year process that had its good and bad moments. After the excellent South Africa campaign, obtaining the Copa America seemed the perfect conclusion to give coherence to that fourth place in the World Cup.

By keeping basically the same team, no matter how may minutes Sebastián had on the field, his importance for the squad was highlighted. The winger played in the most important matches: the quarterfinal when Uruguay eliminated Argentina, and the final against Paraguay, where thanks to his offensive ability he almost made a goal. The final was a dream come true. Uruguay beat Paraguay 3-0, and obtained the title, the only thing it was lacking. ‘It is indescribable  joy because it is not every day that you are Champion of America,’ said Seba after the victory.

 

Ping Pong

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Un Estadio: El Centenario.

Un talento que te gustaría tener: Tocar algún instrumento musical.

Un amigo del fútbol: No puedo decir uno, tengo muchos: Godín, Bonilla, Bruno Silva, Sergio Blanco, Tota Lugano y más.

Vida de soltero o casado: De casado.

Un jugador: Francescoli y Ostolaza

Qué es lo que más te disgusta de ser futbolista: Nada.

Maradona o Pelé: Maradona

El mejor jugador uruguayo de la actualidad es…: Diego Forlán y Edinson Cavani.

Llamada o mensaje de texto: Llamada.

Auto o camioneta: Camioneta.

Redes Sociales: Facebook y Twitter

Una bebida: Coca Cola con hielo.

Un jugador que te gustaría tenerlo como compañero: Messi

Un motivo de orgullo: Mi familia.

En qué ocasiones sos feliz: En Uruguay con toda la familia junta.

Tres cualidades que valorás en una mujer: Sinceridad, humildad, buen humor.

El peor error que cometiste: Pelearme con un familiar

Un gol o jugada que recuerdes: El gol de chilena contra el Santos por Libertadores (2003).

Último concierto que fuiste: Jorge Drexler en Uruguay.

Te gusta algún aroma en especial: El olor que siento cuando llego a Uruguay.

El día más feliz de tu vida: Cuando nacieron mis hijos.

Un estilo musical: Rock and Roll.

Una película: Gladiador.

Un programa de TV: Prision Break.

Un dibujo animado: Los Simpson y Bob esponja (por mi hijo grande).

Qué hay en tu mesa de luz: De todo y desordenado.

Una ventaja y una desventaja de ser famoso: La ventaja: el cariño de la gente sobre todo de los niños. Desventaja: ninguna.

Qué o quién te hace reír: Mis hijos muchísimos. Mi familia también

Con quién no compartirías una mesa: Con nadie en especial.

Una palabra que usas siempre: Monstruo/a (horrible pero es verdad; mi mujer la odia)

Un brindis por…: Por los amigos que están y estuvieron siempre.

Un regalo que recuerdes: Mi primer equipo de Nacional (pantalón, medias y camiseta) y la bici, una BMX tremenda.

Dónde te ves en 10 años: En Uruguay con mi familia

¿Cada cuánto chequeás tu correo electrónico?: Todos los días.

Qué te hace enojar: La falta de sentido común.

Cuándo fue la última vez que usaste el transporte público: Hace un año, el metro de Estocolmo.

Sabés cambiar una bombita de luz: Sí.

Si pudieras ser un artista, ¿quién serías?: Robbie Williams o Bono…

¿A quién admiras?: A Cecilia, mi mujer

¿A quién le pedís consejos?: A mis amigos, a mi mujer y a mi madre

Un papelón que hiciste: Pegarle una patada a mi hijo de dos añitos, en una plaza llena de padres.

¿Tenés cábalas?: Sí.

Un invento: El rasca espaldas. Lo mejor de lo mejor!

¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre?: Jugar con mis hijos y si queda tiempo ir al cine o leer algo.

Un feo recuerdo: El día que murió mi abuela.

Una meta: Cumplir mi contrato con el Sporting y llevarlo algún día a Europa.

Qué defecto te gustaría no tener: La impaciencia.

¿Te interesa la política?: Sí.

Un entrenador: Manuel Pellegrini.

Mate o café: Mate.

¿En qué gastaste tu primer sueldo de futbolista?: En pagar la luz y el teléfono de casa y en una cena.

¿Con quién te gustaría cambiar una camiseta?: Con cualquiera de mis amigos.

Qué podemos encontrar en algún bolsillo de un pantalón tuyo: Chupetes de Tiago, llaves o algún autito de Manu.