Cannavaro expected to take charge of Uzbekistan against Uruguay

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Time of Uzbekistan-Uruguay match announced

Earlier, it was reported that the Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) had entered official negotiations with Italian specialist Fabio Cannavaro. The 2006 Ballon d’Or winner may lead the Uzbekistan national team in the match against Uruguay on October 13. This was reported by Italian journalist and insider Nicolo Schira.

’’Fabio Cannavaro is in active negotiations with the Uzbekistan Football Association and could be appointed head coach of the national team as part of preparations for the 2026 World Cup. His coaching staff is expected to include Ciccio Troise as assistant and Eugenio Albarella as fitness coach. Cannavaro’s first test is anticipated to be the match against Uruguay on October 13,’’ Nicolo Schira wrote.

After ending 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 worked as head coach of Italy’s Benevento club. In April 2024, he took charge of Udinese (Italy) for a short period. After that, Cannavaro also served as head coach of Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb. At present, he is unemployed. 

It is worth noting that earlier, Sport-Express reported, citing sources close to Cannavaro, that the Italian specialist had rejected the offer from the Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA). According to the source, Cannavaro is hoping to take charge of a Serie A club if one of the current managers is dismissed.

The UFA leadership has been searching for a head coach for the national team for quite some time. Before Cannavaro, the names of Paulo Bento, Fatih Terim, and Joachim Low were also considered. However, Joachim Low and Paulo Bento declined the offer to manage the Uzbekistan national team.

Currently, Timur Kapadze is in charge of the team. Ahead of the CAFA Nations Cup 2025, he confirmed at a press conference that the UFA wants an experienced coach who has already seen the World Cup to take over the squad.