Uzbekistan national team head coach Fabio Cannavaro has commented in an interview with Championat.Asia on reports claiming he earns €4 million with the national team.
According to the Italian specialist, negotiations with the Uzbekistan Football Association were not easy, but he described reports about such financial terms as “very stupid”.
“I was in contact with the vice-president, I received an offer and we discussed all the details. As for this story about money, it was very stupid. Sometimes journalists, players or coaches create rumours for no reason,” Cannavaro said.
The coach stressed that the main factor behind his decision was the opportunity to return to the World Cup in a new role.
“The World Cup means a lot. It has been 20 years since I lifted the World Cup as a player. And I had the opportunity to come back to a World Cup in another role. I think that was the main thing that made me decide,” Cannavaro said.
In early October 2025, before Cannavaro’s appointment was officially announced, Russian outlet Sport-Express reported that the Italian specialist’s salary with the Uzbekistan national team would be around €3.5–4 million per year, allegedly including the costs of his coaching staff.
The figure was later picked up by regional and foreign media. Some outlets presented it more directly, claiming that Cannavaro would earn around €4 million per year and become one of the highest-paid national team coaches in the world.
On 6 October 2025, the Uzbekistan Football Association officially announced the signing of a contract with Cannavaro. On the same day, UFA first vice-president Ravshan Irmatov denied the €4 million figure. According to him, the amount was “significantly exaggerated”: Cannavaro’s salary was “not €4 million, and not even half of that amount”. Irmatov also stressed that the parties had decided not to disclose the exact terms of the contract.
At the group stage of the World Cup, Uzbekistan will face Portugal, Colombia and DR Congo.