Peñarol exemplifies problems in a once-great league

	Once dominant, Peñarol has recently been pushed around by lesser Uruguayan teams. AP
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It's that time of the year again. Some people's New Year's resolutions are to quit smoking or take up a new hobby. But in Uruguay, soccer fans are hoping their country's soccer federation comes up with a solution to repair the huge problems in the national game.

Not only did Uruguay fail to qualify for the 2006 World Cup following a heartbreaking penalty-shootout defeat against Australia, but Uruguayan clubs have flopped in nearly every recent South American club competition.

Nowhere is this more evident than with Montevideo powerhouse Club Atlético Peñarol, which historically has been one of the greatest clubs in the world. Over its 115-year existence, the Manyas have won 47 Uruguayan championships, five Copa Libertadores and three Intercontinental Cups.

The new generation of soccer fans across the world may not have heard of Peñarol, but it's a club that -- along with Real Madrid, AC Milan, São Paulo and Boca Juniors -- makes up a select group of the most successful organizations on the planet. Even though Peñarol's last world club championship was back in 1982, when it beat Aston Villa for the Toyota Cup, it still has strong ties to the elite clubs of Europe. Successful players who once donned the Peñarol black-and-yellow stripes include Villarreal's Diego Forlán, Real Madrid's Pablo Garcia and Carlos Diogo, Juventus' Marcelo Zalayeta and former Juve enforcer Paolo Montero.

That's not all. How about this for a list of Peñarol alums thriving in Europe? Walter Pandiani (Birmingham), Dario Silva (Portsmouth), Fabian Canobbio (Celta Vigo), Gonzalo de los Santos (Valencia), Fabian Estoyanoff (Cádiz), Marcelo Romero (Málaga), Diego Perez (AS Monaco), Jean Jaques Pierre (FC Nantes), Eduardo Lago (Rosenborg), Dario Rodríguez (Shalke 04), Guillermo Giacomazzi (Lecce), Joe Bizera (Cagliari), Carlos Bueno and Cristian Rodríguez (both of PSG).

A squad boasting that kind of talent would likely compete for the European Cup every year. For a time, it was like that -- Peñarol dominated world soccer. But good things don't always last.

When I visited Montevideo in 2000, it seemed as if the whole nation was at a standstill as Peñarol succumbed to archrival and eventual title-winner Nacional after a thrilling playoff series. When I returned last year to live in Uruguay, I noticed an enormous change. Fans had stopped flocking to stadiums in large numbers, and TV sets and radios were tuned to other stations. In November, Nacional and Peñarol faced off in what should have been the most anticipated match of the year, but fewer than 30,000 fans attended a game that usually guarantees a sellout of 75,000. Fittingly, the match ended scoreless and further disillusioned a once-proud soccer population.