Forlan reveals Xavi’s admission about 2010 World Cup final | OneFootball

Diego Forlan says Xavi once told him he was glad Spain did not meet Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup final. They spoke at Russia 2018, a remark Forlan called a stab to the heart, yet it hinted his team might have troubled them after Spain beat the Netherlands 1-0 after extra time.

Speaking to L'Équipe at his home in Montevideo, the former Uruguay striker revisited that summer and its afterglow.

In his garden he hunted down the Jabulani, eventually finding it near the parrilla, the same ball he used to torment goalkeepers in South Africa.

Forlan scored five, was named best player and finished joint top scorer with Thomas Müller, David Villa and Wesley Sneijder. He dismissed claims his sponsor sent the ball early, saying he received it when everyone else did.

He called the tournament near perfect, perfection meaning reaching and winning the final. At 31, fresh from winning the Europa League with Atlético Madrid, he felt in an idyllic moment with a fantastic group including Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.

Now 47, Cacha, a nickname from a cartoon witch, divides his time between running his Durazno club, tennis and four children, and kickabouts with his three sons on a small synthetic pitch lined with three-stripes balls.

Late last year he suffered a scare in an amateur game for The British Schools of Montevideo. After a collision he fell awkwardly and struggled to breathe, fracturing three ribs with his own hand and sustaining a small pneumothorax that required a drain. He returned 25 days later, played the final and they were champions.

Source: L'Équipe