Football representatives, from Capello to Abramov, react to Cannavaro’s arrival

Earlier, it was reported that the Uzbekistan Football Association had officially signed a contract with Italian specialist Fabio Cannavaro, the 2006 Ballon d’Or winner and World Cup champion, to lead the national football team. Several figures from the football world have shared their opinions about this appointment.

In particular, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was among the first to react.

’’Welcome to the FIFA World Cup 2026, dear Fabio Cannavaro! Twenty years after winning the title as Italy’s captain in 2006, you will now take part in this tournament in a new role, as the head coach of Uzbekistan’s national team,’’ Infantino wrote on his Instagram page.

Former Uzbekistan national team player Jafar Irismetov also expressed his thoughts on Cannavaro’s appointment as the head coach of the national team.

’’To be honest, Cannavaro is a mystery to us. When we look into his coaching career, we don’t see major achievements. It’s not only about trophies but also about his style of play. In fact, he is still known mainly for his name as a player. I don’t know which criteria the Association relied on when making this decision. Besides, we’ve been striving to play more attacking football. I don’t think Cannavaro can offer us much in that regard. If a foreign coach is being invited, it means we expect to learn something from him. Look, Jurgen Klopp is currently available. Personally, I would have supported his candidacy. From him, we could truly learn a lot.

On the other hand, we were also skeptical when Srecko Katanec was appointed, but in the end, everything turned out well. The goals for the World Cup have not yet been officially announced, but advancing from the group stage would already be a great success for the team. After all, going to the tournament without setting at least a playoff target would make no sense,’’ Irismetov said.

Another former player of the Uzbekistan national football team, Valeriy Kechinov, also commented on Fabio Cannavaro’s appointment as the team’s head coach.

’’It’s hard for me to say what kind of coach Cannavaro is, since I have not really followed his career and do not know much about his achievements. But one thing is clear, he was a very strong and talented footballer. In any case, Fabio is someone who can bring a lot to the Uzbekistan national team. I think this is a very serious and significant step for the national side. Perhaps, there were specific reasons behind the decision to change the coach,’’ Kechinov said in an interview with Championat.

The famous Italian coach Fabio Capello also shared his view on Cannavaro’s new appointment in an interview with Euro-Football.

’’Appointing Cannavaro is a very good decision. He has great experience and can certainly help the Uzbekistan national team,’’ Capello said.

Meanwhile, Vadim Abramov, head coach of Samarkand’s Dinamo club, also commented on Cannavaro’s arrival.

’’What do I think about Cannavaro’s appointment? I know he was a brilliant player who won the Ballon d’Or. He was indeed a great defender. Unfortunately, he won’t be playing for us, he’ll be coaching. What else can I say? Time will tell everything,’’ said Vadim Karlenovich.

The Uzbekistan Football Association has signed a 2+3-year contract with Fabio Cannavaro. The former head coach of the Uzbekistan national team, Temur Kapadze, will assist him in a temporary role as an assistant coach.