Uzbekistan assistant coach Paolo Cannavaro has turned down the opportunity to take charge of Italian club Giugliano and decided to continue working with the national team alongside his brother Fabio Cannavaro.
According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Giugliano identified the 45-year-old as their leading candidate following the dismissal of Raffaele Di Napoli. The two sides had reached a verbal agreement on a contract until June 2027, with an option to extend, but the move ultimately fell through.
Italian media reported that one of the obstacles was Cannavaro’s existing contract with the Uzbekistan national team. To return to a head-coaching role in Italy, he would have needed to reach an agreement with the Uzbek side to terminate his contract. Cannavaro ultimately decided to remain with the national team at least until the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
Paolo Cannavaro joined Uzbekistan’s coaching staff in early 2026. Italian media reported that he was already working with the team during a January training camp in Dubai, while journalist Nicolo Schira reported in March that he had officially joined the staff. The Uzbekistan Football Association did not issue a separate announcement confirming Paolo Cannavaro’s appointment.
The brothers had previously worked together at Guangzhou in China, as well as at Benevento and Udinese. Paolo was part of Uzbekistan’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup and remained on the coaching staff after the tournament. In September, he was with the team in Tashkent as they prepared for another international camp.
Fabio Cannavaro has been in charge of Uzbekistan since October 2025. When he was appointed, Uzbekistan Football Association first vice-president Ravshan Irmatov said the head coach had signed a contract on a “2+3” basis.
Uzbekistan’s next major competitive tournament will be the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.