Football’s ultimate journeyman
Sebastian Abreu has featured for 28 different clubs in his career, and isn’t stopping now. The striker shares his story with FFT and explains why he’s no more ‘Loco’ than Mick Jagger...
Sebastian Abreu has seen it all
My only dream was to play football. I never dreamed of being in The
Guinness Book of Records. I never dreamed I’d become the player with the most clubs – 28 of them! I’m now 42 years old and I’m still here, moving to new clubs and feeling the appetite for playing; for sharing a dressing room; for scoring goals. Time goes by and I have the same mindset: to take advantage of every opportunity. Clubs and managers think I still have something to share, which makes me proud. I’ve played with Ronaldinho, Pep Guardiola, Diego Forlan, Edinson Cavani, Oscar Ruggeri, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Luis Suarez, Roy Makaay... and I’ve played at two World Cups and won the Copa America. I’m Uruguay’s seventh highest goalscorer and have hit 422 goals in my career. Not bad, eh? Some kids want to be firefighters. Pilots. Astronauts. In Uruguay, most kids want to be footballers. But how many of them actually make it?
My dreams were not easy to achieve. I wanted to play for Nacional and be a champion with Uruguay. That was my dream, and I couldn’t have imagined that I’d have the career I have now.
Minas, where I was born, isn’t known for producing top footballers. Compare it to some other Uruguayan cities and it had produced only Jorge Villar, nicknamed ‘The Bomb’, who won the Copa Libertadores with Penarol in 1987. That was it. Do you know what it’s like when you come from a small town that had produced one player in its history? It’s very difficult. People would laugh at me. They’d tell me that I was delusional. But what’s the point of dreams if you don’t try to achieve them?
In 1993, after I was called up to the national under-17 team and signed for Defensor Sporting, I started to realise that football could be my path. I moved to Montevideo and went from the fifth division with the academy to the senior team in less than a year.
My debut was against Liverpool – the Uruguayan Liverpool – and my dreams began to change. As soon as I fulfilled one ambition, I focused on a new one. Step by step, I ticked off every one of them. After playing several matches in the First Division, it was then my target to join Nacional, the team I’ve always supported, then to become a champion, captain, leading scorer, win a trophy with the national team and play at a World Cup.
All of them came true.
So, let’s try to name the list without making a mistake. 1) Defensor Sporting; 2) San Lorenzo; 3) Deportivo La Coruna; 4) Gremio; 5) Tecos; 6) Nacional; 7) Cruz Azul; 8) Nacional; 9) Club America; 10) Tecos; 11) Nacional once again; 12) Dorados; 13) Monterrey; 14) San Luis; 15) Tigres; 16) River Plate; 17) Beitar Jerusalem; 18) Return to River Plate; 19) Real Sociedad; 20) Aris; 21) Botafogo; 22) Figueirense; 23) Fourth time at Nacional; 24) Aucas; 25) Nacional again; 26) Rosario Central; 27) A sixth spell with Nacional; 28) Sol de America; 29) Santa Tecla; 30) Bangu; 31) Central Espanol; 32) Puerto Montt; 33) Audax Italiano; 34) Magallanes; 35) Rio Branco. Is that 28 different clubs? Yes! My memory still works.
The first secret to moving between clubs in different countries is to get used to the culture. It’s never the other way around. You need to adapt to the country, rather than expect the country to adapt to you.
The second thing is always be prepared to grow, learn and achieve something new. I’ve never joined a team without feeling there were areas where I could improve.
Finally, be fully responsible for the decision. No one ever decided for me. Sometimes I listen to team-mates who regretted being at a club the day after they signed the contract. It’s tough when it wasn’t their call but someone else’s.
In my case, I’ve moved from Uruguay to Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Israel, Greece, El Salvador, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay and Brazil, and in every country I’ve discovered a football style that I was willing to learn. Sometimes it’s more tactical; sometimes more physical; sometimes more technical. After I sign for a club, I’ll try to watch at least 10-15 matches from the past season to understand the team’s style and the competitiveness of the league.
In Israel, the game is more aggressive because they’re prepared to defend their country since they are young, and that same spirit can be found on the pitch. In Mexico it’s more dynamic than intense, but you have a handful of teams that play at high altitude, and also extreme weather changes. Brazil is a paradise for full-backs and wingers, but there’s so much preparation: if you think Brazil is all samba and beer, you’re wrong. The infrastructure is fantastic. And on South America’s Pacific coast, there tends to be more possession and neat technique. I wanted to find out why so I went and drew my own conclusions, as I plan to be a manager in the future.
When I was with Dorados in Mexico, I had the privilege of playing with Pep Guardiola. You could immediately tell that he was going to be a manager. ‘Matute’ Morales and I would watch the fierce tactical debates between Pep and [coach] Juanma Lillo: one would have forks and spoons, trying to attack, and the other would grab knives, bread – whatever was close to hand – to neutralise the move with a different tactical scheme. Dinner was always at 8pm and you’d see these two at 11pm, still sat there, arguing. It was a masterclass in football from two geniuses, and it would provide a couple of concepts to make you reflect in your room all night.
I’m glad that I’m still in touch with Guardiola. Let me tell you this: he’s obsessed with the details, and that explains everything he’s won. In the 2008-09 season, when Barcelona won the Champions League, they started in the qualifying rounds. They had to face the winners of Beitar Jerusalem and Wisla Krakow. I was playing for Beitar, but we lost the second leg 5-0 and went out. A few days later, Pep called me. “I saw you played well, with good movements,” he said. He wanted to know my opinion on every Wisla player – he underestimates no one.
I also had Diego Simeone as a manager – at River Plate – and he is as passionate as Pep. Diego has the power of transmitting his passion just by looking you in the eyes. You can feel it. Working with them and learning from them was an honour.
I’m lucky because my body was free of injuries throughout my career. That gives you the confidence to know you can keep going. But if I’m playing football now, that’s because I’ve always taken care of myself, even when I could in theory have made it without any extra training sessions or diets. In your prime, you can sometimes think it’s not so important to have a personal trainer, physio or nutritionist.
One bit of advice which has always helped me is this: the moment I arrive in a new country, I go out onto the streets and try all of the typical dishes. Taste, taste, taste. After that, I know what I like and what I don’t like. That’s very important, because it’s normal to be invited to dinner at a team-mate’s house and by then you’re ready to say what you like about local food, so you won’t have to try something new in front of your hosts.
Conversation is crucial to understanding your team-mates’ needs. I’m a veteran, but that doesn’t mean I walk into the dressing room carrying a whip. I listened to experienced players when I started out, and now I want to pass on what I’ve learned to guys who are willing to grow. Not everyone has the talent to be the next Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez or Edinson Cavani, but they have the same passion.
Until 2013 my family followed me to every country I played in, but then I understood they had to stay in Uruguay because my children needed stability, at the same school, as studying is non-negotiable. Valentina, my daughter, is 18 and Dieguito, my 15-year-old son, plays for Defensor, where my career started. All three of my boys – Diego, Franco and Facundo – are beginning their adventure in football and it’s sad not being around to give them advice about tiny details.
I’ve missed so many important family moments in my career – any footballer will say the same. I could have retired by now, but I’m still playing and I won’t be able to go back in time once I quit.
Few people appreciate that footballers are human beings, facing adversity and difficulties. At the same time, it’s a relief to know my kids are proud when friends say I’m an example. I’ll talk to them too, addressing subjects that weren’t spoken about when I was young.
Football has given me the opportunity to meet extraordinary people and make great friends. Luis Suarez is family now, as godfather to one of my kids. He plays with the same intensity, even if it’s tennis or golf. As a Uruguayan, I’m proud that he’s the No.9 for Barcelona and La Celeste.
Luis pursued his dreams. When he first travelled to Europe, it wasn’t Barcelona who were waiting for him but Groningen in the Netherlands. He moved because he was convinced it was the right thing to do, and because he wanted to be close to the love of his life. You need to chase your dreams, not wait for them to come and get you. I’m an example. I can tell youngsters in my city that I made it in football with the same difficulties they have now – without resources or money.
Uruguay has changed a lot in recent years and it’s mainly thanks to El Maestro, Oscar Tabarez. He taught players professionalism, respect and values. We understood what he said: we weren’t just footballers but the face of the country and an example for all the generations to come. He created something that goes beyond football.
A day before the 2010 World Cup semi-final against the Netherlands, I had a long chat over dinner with Diego Lugano, Sebastian Eguren and Andres Scotti about how to leave a real legacy. We decided to create a foundation, Fundacion Celeste. A day before a World Cup semi-final! That shows the players’ commitment. When we returned from South Africa we organised our first solidarity dinner, and today Fundacion Celeste is a reason to be proud.
My nickname is ‘Loco’. A pundit called me that when I was playing for San Lorenzo because of the way I celebrated goals – but everyone in the game knows I’m not that crazy. Besides, Mick Jagger dances and no one calls him Loco. I see myself as someone who brings a good atmosphere to the dressing room.
I don’t feel I’m a journeyman – sometimes, yes, I’ve changed clubs three times in a year, but I stayed at Botafogo for nearly three years, one of the special clubs I carry in my heart. For me, it depends on the project and how I feel.
And yes, I’m also known for chipping my penalties. In my eyes there are four ways to take a penalty and you need to make a decision. It’s not out of the blue – you’ve practised, you’re watching the goalkeeper, to see if he dives early. I last chipped a penalty in 2011, having scored more than 25 with that technique including at the 2010 World Cup to win the quarter-final shootout against Ghana (above). Since 2011 I’ve said I wouldn’t do it again, particularly because of the hype – ‘Abreu did it again’ – which is unfair, as no one would say that if I placed all my penalties to the right. No one counts those – but the chipped ones, oh yes, those are news.
Anyway, when Picasso drew his best work he didn’t repeat it, so let’s leave my chipped penalties as a good memory. Goalkeepers still don’t believe I’ve stopped, which helps me as they’re having doubts before each spot-kick. But I’m telling you: I won’t chip another penalty until my testimonial match. And in that game, I hope the keeper knows he is obliged to pick a post, because I will chip it.
“SIMEONE IS AS PASSIONATE AS PEP, BUT HE HAS THE POWER TO TRANSMIT IT JUST BY LOOKING YOU In THE EYES. YOU FEEL IT”