Cannavaro Explains Masharipov's World Cup Absence

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan national football team head coach Fabio Cannavaro said Jaloliddin Masharipov was unable to play at the World Cup because of serious health problems, despite efforts by the coaching staff and medical team to prepare him for the tournament.

Speaking at a post-tournament press conference, the Italian coach said the midfielder's absence was caused not by a knee injury but by a spinal disc hernia that developed after a match against Canada.

"I am probably the only foolish coach in the world who took him to the World Cup considering his previous achievements and his level. We did an enormous amount of work to get him to the tournament," Cannavaro said.

He said he personally met the player in Dubai and Rome and consulted with various specialists in an effort to prepare him for the competition.

"Masharipov's main problem was not his knee but a spinal disc hernia that became apparent after the match against Canada. After the friendly in Tashkent, we noticed a significant difference in the condition of his legs.

"That is why we sent him to Dubai for a medical examination. However, it was his back problem that prevented him from playing at the World Cup," the coach said.

Cannavaro added that Masharipov had not played in either official or friendly matches for eight or nine months. He also said the national team had been affected by injuries to several other players, including Aziz Ganiev, Khodjiakbar Alijonov, Odiljon Hamrobekov and Behruz Karimov.

"It was difficult for Masharipov even to walk, but we brought in every specialist we could so that he could go to the World Cup. Perhaps the fact that I did everything possible to make that happen was my biggest mistake. I understand exactly how he feels because I experienced something similar when I was forced to miss the European Championship because of injury. He deserved to play at the World Cup. He is a wonderful person and an outstanding footballer," the head coach said.

Cannavaro also noted that Husniddin Alikulov missed the tournament because of injury, but said the issue had received far less attention.

Commenting on the public reaction, the Italian coach suggested it could be linked to his status as a foreign coach or to the position taken by people close to Masharipov.

"To be honest, I do not fully understand what the problem is. Perhaps it is because I am a foreigner. Or maybe people close to Masharipov actively defended him and expressed their dissatisfaction. I have thought about that as well. But I work in a wonderful country and know the Uzbek people very well. They are very hospitable people," Cannavaro said.

The head coach also explained why Turgunboyev and Erkinov were left out of the final World Cup squad.

"I have no problems with Turgunboyev or Erkinov. I left them out of the final squad based on their most recent league match. As they have not been performing at the same level recently, and taking into account their physical condition, I decided not to call them up to the national team," Cannavaro said.