Fabio Cannavaro to Head to Italy Directly Following Uzbekistan's World Cup Campaign

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Fabio Cannavaro, the head coach of the Uzbekistan national football team, will not return to Tashkent with the team delegation following the conclusion of their group-stage performance at the World Cup. The information was reported by Championat.asia.

According to journalists, the Italian specialist decided to fly directly from the stadium in the United States back to his homeland in Italy to take a brief vacation and recharge ahead of the autumn cycle of official matches.

"We have been together with the team continuously for two months, including preparatory training camps and the tournament itself. Right now, we all need a short rest to reset. From New York, I am heading to Italy, and I will see the Uzbekistani fans in September," the publication quoted Fabio Cannavaro as saying.

The head coach's decision altered the plans of several sports bloggers and media activists who had been anticipating the coaching staff's return to Tashkent to host a concluding press conference summarizing the results of the country's debut appearance on the global stage.

The recently concluded World Cup marked a historic milestone for domestic football, as the Uzbekistan national team qualified for the final tournament for the first time in history under the leadership of the decorated Italian manager.

The debut turned out to be emotional and demanding. In the opening match, the "White Wolves" suffered a 1-3 loss to a powerful Colombia team, though the game delivered a historic moment when midfielder Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored Uzbekistan's first-ever goal at a World Cup.

In the second round of the group stage, Cannavaro's side experienced a bruising 0-5 defeat against Portugal, after which the coach publicly took full responsibility for the tactical result while expressing sincere pride in his players' dedication.

In the final group game, Uzbekistan lost 1-3 to the DR Congo, finishing fourth in the group and drawing the curtain on their campaign as they look forward to preparing for future AFC international tournaments.