Cannavaro comments on World Cup campaign and rumors surrounding him

Cannavaro comments on World Cup campaign and rumors surrounding him

Uzbekistan national team head coach Fabio Cannavaro addressed the team's World Cup performance, the national squad, preparations for the AFC Asian Cup, and rumors about himself during a press conference.

Cannavaro said that after the World Cup, he traveled to Italy not for a vacation, but because of the break in the Uzbekistan Super League, which gave him an opportunity to briefly visit his homeland.

He also spoke about Jaloliddin Masharipov, admitting that it was his mistake to take the injured player to the World Cup:

"I must be the only foolish coach in the world who took an injured player to the World Cup," he said.

The coach added that Azizbek Turgunboyev and Khojimat Erkinov were left out of the World Cup squad because their performances in the Uzbekistan Super League did not meet the required standard.

Regarding preparations for the AFC Asian Cup, Cannavaro revealed that a friendly match against South Korea has been planned, while negotiations are ongoing to arrange friendlies with Iran and another strong national team. He also described the players' lack of communication on the pitch as one of the team's biggest weaknesses.

Cannavaro further denied reports claiming that his annual salary is €4 million. He explained that the salaries of his assistant coaches are paid from the total amount allocated under his contract.