Former Uzbekistan assistant coach Aleš Čeh has said there was little belief in the national team before Srečko Katanec and his staff took charge.
Speaking to Slovenian outlet Delo, Čeh said many in Uzbekistan doubted the team was capable of achieving anything significant.
“People did not believe this team could achieve anything. Srečko prepared the players in a way that made them give everything. At first, they did not accept our demands, which is normal — they would ask, ‘Coach, why do we have to track back? We are attackers.’ But then they realized Srečko was honest and only wanted to help them reach a major tournament. Once they understood that, everything became easier,” Čeh said.
He stressed that Katanec played the decisive role in the team’s rise.
“I was very happy that we achieved this success with Uzbekistan. I am especially happy for Srečko, because this success belongs above all to him. It was incredible how he prepared the team — first the players followed him, and in the end the whole country did. At the beginning, there was a lot of doubt,” Čeh said.
According to Čeh, Katanec deserves most of the credit for Uzbekistan’s historic achievement.
“I must emphasize that Srečko Katanec deserves most of the credit for this success,” he added.
Uzbekistan qualified for the World Cup for the first time in its history. Katanec stepped down because of health problems with four games left in the qualifying campaign.
The team was then handed to local coach Timur Kapadze, with Čeh staying on as part of the staff. In the autumn, however, the Uzbekistan Football Association appointed a new coaching team led by Fabio Cannavaro, who is set to lead the national side at its debut World Cup.