Fabio Cannavaro: “I arrived with great enthusiasm — and I plan to stay for a long time”

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Fabio Cannavaro, the new head coach of the Uzbekistan national football team, World Cup winner and Ballon d’Or holder, said he is eager to start working with the team and contribute to the further development of Uzbek football.

“I am grateful for the trust shown to me and look forward to beginning training with the team as soon as possible,” Cannavaro said at his first press conference in Tashkent.

“Uzbekistan is already at the World Cup — Italy isn’t yet”

According to the Italian specialist, his decision to take charge of the Uzbekistan national team was deliberate and based on his belief in the country’s football potential.

“First of all, let me point out: Uzbekistan has already qualified for the World Cup, while Italy hasn’t. I feel sorry for my country, but football is developing rapidly not only in Europe but all over the world, including Asia. The level of Asian national teams is growing, and playing against Italy is no longer a problem for them,” Cannavaro emphasized.

He noted that the leadership of Uzbek football is making serious efforts to develop the sport — particularly through the establishment of the National Football Center.

“I’ve been in football since I was eight years old — it’s the only field I know inside out. I’m confident that over time, we’ll be able to achieve even greater progress,” he added.

“Communication between coach and players is extremely important”

Cannavaro said he has already met the players and discussed the squad with assistant coach Timur Kapadze.

“Today I met the players — some of them even speak Italian. Communication between coach and players is essential. Timur Kapadze and I discussed the current training camp squad. I believe it’s crucial to have local specialists in the coaching staff — they provide invaluable support. It’s very important to quickly understand the players’ mentality and the country’s culture, and I personally asked Ravshan Irmatov to help me with this,” he said.

The Italian coach also noted that he closely follows Super League matches to better assess players’ potential.

“Watching them on the field is the best way to understand who is ready for the national level,” he said.

“I came with a lot of suitcases — I want to stay here for a long time”

Cannavaro shared his plans to settle in Uzbekistan:

“I arrived with many suitcases — I want to stay here as long as possible. I even brought my bicycle — I’m not sure I’ll have time to use it, but I like being close to people. I came here full of enthusiasm and intend to follow not only the national team but also the youth and junior teams.”

“World Cup matches are played at a completely different pace”

The new head coach emphasized the need to increase the intensity of domestic matches.

“We need to raise the intensity of Super League games — we’ll discuss this with the leadership. The more players get used to a high tempo, the better the results will be. It’s also vital to monitor recovery processes. We’ll ask club coaches to regularly share data on physical performance — daily, weekly, monthly — so that we can track who is improving and who isn’t. The pace of World Cup matches is a completely different level, and I say this with full confidence,” Cannavaro stressed.

“I had 7–8 offers, but I chose Uzbekistan”

Cannavaro revealed that he received several offers from clubs and national teams, but his decision in favor of Uzbekistan was made quickly.

“I had seven or eight offers from different places, but I chose Uzbekistan. The decision was influenced by the fact that the team has already qualified for the World Cup and by the seriousness of the project. Playing at the World Cup is very challenging — extremely — but we’ll aim for results. If in eight months I can’t establish communication with the team, then the problem is with me,” he said.

Cannavaro added that the national team plans to participate in an international tournament in Dubai in November, though the official confirmation will come after the contract signing.

The appointment of Fabio Cannavaro is part of the Uzbekistan Football Association’s strategy to strengthen the national team ahead of its debut at the FIFA World Cup.