Ex-Uruguay captain Lugano 'closer' to Sao Paulo off-field role

RIO DE JANEIRO: Former Uruguay football team captain Diego Lugano has said that he is yet to decide whether to continue playing or join the backroom staff of his former club Sao Paulo, though he is "closer" to opting for the latter.

The 37-year-old played his last match for Sao Paulo earlier this month and was immediately offered a position as an administrator with the Brazilian outfit, reports Xinhua news agency.

He revealed he had ruled out becoming a coach or player agent in the near future.

"I'm closer to accepting a proposal with Sao Paulo, to work in the sports management area," Lugano told Uruguay's El Observador newspaper. "But I have doubts about whether I'm ready. There are a lot of expectations and I'd be starting from zero."

Lugano has completed two sports management courses with universities in Brazil and Spain in preparation for his next career move. And he said that his experience as captain of Uruguay's national team for a decade provided first-hand knowledge that "can't be studied anywhere".

"I have several options. There are family businesses that I should dedicate more time to. I could also continue playing. I will let destiny choose because I don't know which decision to make," he added.

Lugano, who began a second spell with Sao Paulo last year, is idolised by the club's fans, having played a vital role in the team's victory over Liverpool in the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup final.

The former Paris Saint-Germain center-back was capped 95 times for Uruguay and captained them at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.