Uzbekistan Pursues Fabio Cannavaro as New National Football Team Coach

The Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) is actively pursuing a foreign head coach for the national team and has reportedly made a formal offer to Italian football legend Fabio Cannavaro.

According to trusted football insider Fabrizio Romano, negotiations between Cannavaro and the UFA are currently underway as both sides discuss the potential appointment, The Caspian Post reports, citing Uzbek media.

Earlier, media outlets reported that Cannavaro had rejected Uzbekistan’s offer and was waiting for proposals from clubs in Italy.

For reference, the 52-year-old Cannavaro achieved significant success during his playing career. He became a world champion with Italy in 2006 and won the Ballon d’Or the same year, following his strong performance at the World Cup.

However, his coaching career has been far less successful. Cannavaro has had unremarkable stints with Guangzhou Evergrande, Udinese, Benevento, Dinamo Zagreb, and the Chinese national team.

In recent months, reports of UFA seeking a foreign coach for the Uzbekistan national team have surfaced regularly. The federation initially held talks with Joachim Löw, who led Germany to the 2014 World Cup title, but the veteran coach declined the offer. Media also speculated about Turkish coach Fatih Terim, though those discussions did not reach negotiation stage.

Later, Portuguese coach Paulo Bento was named among the main candidates for the role, but talks with him also ended without agreement. In addition, there were media reports linking Croatian coach Slaven Bilić to the Uzbekistan job.

At present, the national team is managed by Temur Kapadze, who led Uzbekistan to the World Cup. He has repeatedly said that uncertainty over his future is creating difficulties for him.