Fabio Cannavaro officially appointed Uzbekistan national team coach

The Uzbekistan Football Association has signed a contract with Italian specialist Fabio Cannavaro, the association reported.

Fabio Cannavaro, a three-time World Cup participant, 2006 World Cup champion, and one of the best defenders of his generation, is now set to lead the Uzbekistan national football team in preparation for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Cannavaro will be assisted by the following coaching staff:

• Eugenio Albarella — assistant coach (previously worked with Japan’s national team, Juventus, Udinese, and Dinamo Zagreb);
• Francesco Troise — fitness coach (formerly with Benevento, Udinese, and Dinamo Zagreb);
• Antonio Chimenti — goalkeeping coach (has experience with Italy’s youth national team, Sampdoria, and SPAL).

After concluding his playing career, Fabio Cannavaro managed clubs in the Middle East and China. In 2019, he was appointed head coach of the Chinese national team. From 2022 to 2023, he served as the head coach of Italy’s Benevento club. In April 2024, Cannavaro took charge of Udinese (Italy) for a brief period. Subsequently, he also worked as the head coach of Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb.

It is worth noting that earlier reports confirmed Fabio Cannavaro had arrived in Tashkent together with his coaching staff.