The head coach of the Uzbekistan national football team, Italian Fabio Cannavaro, has expressed his full support for his mentor, Romanian coach Olarie Cosmin, with whom he began his coaching journey over a decade ago during their time together at Al Ahli Club in 2013. Cannavaro affirmed his confidence in Cosmin's ability to lead the national team past Iraq in the second leg of the Asian playoff for the 2026 World Cup.
Speaking at a press conference following Uzbekistan's 2-0 clean-sheet victory over Egypt in the Al Ain International Cup, Cannavaro, in response to a question from "Al Ittihad" about what he would like to say to his mentor before the decisive match, stated: "I am sure he doesn't need any advice; he is one of the elite coaches, and what I am sure of is that you will succeed in this mission."
The 2006 World Cup winner with the "Azzurri" added that he had watched the national team's match against Iraq, saying: "I followed the team, I saw the players, and I realize the situation is currently difficult for the team. I hope the UAE team can reach the 2026 World Cup, and I am confident in Cosmin's ability to achieve that."
Cannavaro, one of the greatest defenders in football history, ended his career in July 2011 wearing the Al Ahli shirt after suffering a knee injury, capping a career of over 20 years with top clubs including Real Madrid, Juventus, and Inter Milan, in addition to his world title and the 2006 World Player of the Year award.
After retiring, he worked as an ambassador and technical advisor for Al Ahli before beginning his first coaching experience as an assistant to Olariu Cosmin in 2013. Cannavaro expressed his pride in that phase, saying: "It was important for me to start my coaching career under his leadership."
Regarding the differences between the past and present in UAE football, he said: "Things have definitely changed between the previous period and the current time, and there is no room for comparison. Now there is a large number of foreign players who are able to join the national team, which can contribute to improving the team's quality."
He continued, speaking about his current experience: "Football has changed a lot; every national federation is implementing a different project. I chose to coach the Uzbekistan team because they are working on producing a young and talented local generation. I saw their way of working, and it was impressive."
Cannavaro concluded his talk with transparency about his experiences of success and failure: "For example, I worked in China, and it was a bad experience. Sometimes things work out, and sometimes they don't. In case of qualifying for the World Cup, the experiences that led to it are celebrated, while in case of failure, everyone starts to criticize."
Meanwhile, the Al Ain International Cup for national teams concludes with the third-place playoff match between Egypt and Cape Verde today at 8:00 PM, while the Uzbekistan team will face their Iranian counterparts for the title in the match scheduled for 8:00 PM tomorrow.
Fabio Cannavaro: • I followed the UAE national team, I saw the players, and I hope they succeed in reaching the 2026 World Cup. • I realize the 'White' team's situation is difficult, but I am confident in Cosmin's ability to achieve the World Cup dream.
