Diego Fernando Pérez Aguado (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdjeɣo ˈpeɾes]; born 18 May 1980) is a Uruguayan professional football manager and former player who played as a defensive midfielder. He is the current assistant coach of the Uruguay under-20 national team.
Nicknamed "El Ruso" (lit. 'the Russian'), Pérez played for five years in Uruguay before playing several years for AS Monaco and Bologna. Internationally, Pérez appeared in 89 matches for the Uruguay national football team, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2011 editions of the Copa América.
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Club career
Pérez was born in Montevideo. At the age of 19, Pérez joined one of the clubs of his hometown, Defensor Sporting, soon becoming a first-team regular. He joined a larger club from Montevideo, C.A. Peñarol, in 2003 but only played 13 games with them before being shipped off to France to play for AS Monaco under then-manager Didier Deschamps.
Monaco
During his time at Monaco he had to battle for his place in the defensive midfield spot against Lucas Bernardi, Akis Zikos and Gerard López and was especially favored by the manager Francesco Guidolin during the Italian's reign in the 2005–06 season.
Bologna
On 31 August 2010, he was signed by Italian Serie A team Bologna for €2.1 million (including 5% solidarity contribution to youth clubs). No fee was scheduled to pay on that day, but 2 equal installments was scheduled on 31 December 2010 and 30 June 2011. At Bologna, he has teamed up with fellow Uruguayan internationals, Henry Damián Giménez, Gastón Ramírez and Miguel Britos, before this left the squad to join S.S.C. Napoli. In Pérez first season in the Serie A, Bologna managed 16th place and finished six points clear of relegation, confirming a fourth successive season in the Italian top flight. He also managed three assists during the campaign, tied for most on the team along with Riccardo Meggiorini.
After being without a club for 1+1⁄2 months, Pérez signed a new two-year contract with Bologna in August 2013. He retired at the end of the 2014–15 season.
International career
Pérez was capped for Uruguay in four successive editions of the Copa América, helping his country lift their 15th South American championship in 2011. He was also selected to 2010 FIFA World Cup. On 16 July 2011, he scored his first goal for the national team in a match against hosts Argentina in the Copa America quarterfinals, although he was also sent off in the same match. Pérez was back for the final match against Paraguay, starting in defensive midfield in a 3–0 win.
Managerial career
Pérez was the assistant manager of the Uruguay under-20 team which won the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and finished as runners-up at the 2023 South American U-20 Championship. In May 2024, Pérez was named as the first ever manager of the Uruguay local national team.
On 6 August 2026, Pérez was appointed assistant coach to Diego Forlán with the Uruguay national team.
Personal life
His older brother Omar Pérez is also a professional footballer, who played for Cerro as a midfielder.
Career statistics
International
Source:
Honours
International
Uruguay
Copa América Winner: 2011; Third Place: 2004; Fourth Place: 2001, 2007
FIFA World Cup Fourth Place: 2010