MONTEVIDEO, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay has sacked manager Oscar Tabarez after more than 15 years in the job amid a poor run of results in World Cup qualifiers, the country's football association said on Friday.。
The announcement came three days after the Celeste lost 3-0 to Bolivia in La Paz, the team9;s fourth defeat in as many qualifiers.。</p>
"The executive committee ... has taken this difficult decision in virtue of the present circumstances with a commitment to the future and to achieving the results that we all want,"; read a statement on the Uruguayan Football Association9;s (AUF) official website.。
"We express our respect and acknowledge his professionalism and dedication over such a long period," the statement added.。
Tabarez had been in charge of Uruguay since March 2006 and steered the Celeste to the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where they were eliminated by eventual champions France.。
He also coached the national team from 1988 to 1990.。
In total, the 74-year-old guided Uruguay to four World Cups during his two spells as coach: Italy in 1990, South Africa in 2010, Brazil in 2014 and Russia in 2018.。
Former Uruguay striker Diego Forlan was among a number of current and former players to express their gratitude to Tabarez on social media following his dismissal.。
";Thank you, maestro, for everything you have done for Uruguay's national football team and the country," tweeted Forlan, who won the Golden Ball award for the best player at the 2010 World Cup.。
"You marked a before and an after, and that's why your name will go down in history."</p>
Uruguay is currently seventh in the 10-team South American qualifying group for the 2022 World Cup.。
The top four teams will automatically earn a place at football's showpiece tournament in Qatar while the fifth-ranked side will advance to an intercontinental playoff.。
<p>The AUF did not immediately say who would replace Tabarez. Enditem。
