Daniel Carreño returns to Nacional for a third stint as coach

Nacional already has its coach, and for many fans at La Blanqueada, it feels almost like a reunion with an old friend. The club confirmed Daniel Carreño as its new manager, an appointment that comes just days after the departure of Jorge Bava, who was let go following a 2-0 loss to Racing in the second round of the Torneo Clausura.

Carreño, 63, is no stranger to Los Céspedes: this will be his third stint as coach of the tricolor club. His first spell ran from 2002 to 2003, and his second came in 2007, the last time he had been in charge of Nacional. Now he returns facing an immediate heavyweight challenge: in just two matchdays he'll have to take on the derby against Peñarol at the Campeón del Siglo, a game that could well set the tone for his return.

His track record at the club is no small thing. In his first cycle, right after taking over, he debuted with a 5-0 rout of Central Español and closed out that 2002 season by lifting the Campeonato Uruguayo title after beating Danubio in the final. The following year he repeated as champion in the Torneo Apertura, though that cycle ended without holding onto either the Clausura or the Campeonato Uruguayo, both of which went to Diego Aguirre's Peñarol. His second stint, in 2007, was grayer: a modest 12th place finish in the Clausura and an uneven start in the Apertura led to his exit, though he did pick up the Liguilla title along the way.

Combining both stints, the numbers add up to a solid record: 166 matches in charge, with 82 wins, 39 draws and 45 losses, plus two Torneo Apertura titles, one Campeonato Uruguayo and one Liguilla in the trophy case.

A bond that began as a player

Before he ever sat on the bench, Carreño had already carved out his name in Nacional's grandest history. As a forward, he was part of the squad that won the Copa Libertadores and the 1988 Intercontinental Cup, one of the most cherished chapters in the club's history.

What's a bit concerning is his recent form. His last job as a coach was at Al-Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia, between October 2025 and February 2026, where he went winless in 12 matches (four draws and eight losses). He also had no luck in his most recent stint in Uruguayan soccer, in charge of Montevideo Wanderers in 2025, where he won just one of 11 games.

Now Carreño arrives at a Nacional side in urgent need of results, with the immediate demand of a derby against Peñarol staring him in the face. His record in those clashes wasn't favorable in his earlier stints either: of nine matches as tricolor coach against Peñarol, he won three, drew one and lost four. With that history in mind, the return to the Campeón del Siglo will, without a doubt, be the first big test of his third cycle.