Fabio Cannavaro: Dinamo Zagreb sack ex-Real Madrid and Italy defender after 14 matches
Former Real Madrid and Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro has been sacked by Dinamo Zagreb after just 14 matches as head coach.
Cannavaro won seven of his matches in charge of the Croatian club before the announcement of his departure on Wednesday.
Among his matches in the dugout, Cannavaro's side suffered a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League. The former Inter defender also led the to a 2-1 win away at Milan in the league phase, and missed out on a play-off spot to Club Brugge on goal difference.
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Dinamo said they thank Cannavaro, 51, for his 'great effort, commitment and friendliness' throughout his tenure, wishing him luck in his 'future sporting and life journey'.
The club confirmed assistant coach Sandro Perkovic would assume the role of head coach for the remainder of their season.
In November 2024, The Athletic reported Cannavaro was in talks to become Deportivo La Coruna's new head coach. The former Italy international, who was capped 136 times during his playing career, then joined Dinamo on December 29.
Cannavaro's departure follows a 3-0 defeat to NK Istra 1961 on Saturday. Dinamo are third in the Croatian top-flight, eight points behind leaders Hajduk Split. Cannavaro's side were also knocked out of the Croatian Cup at the quarter-final stage following a 1-0 defeat to Osijek.
Dinamo have been the dominant Croatian side this century, winning 20 of the most recent 25 league titles.
A former Ballon d'Or and World Cup winner, Cannavaro has previously taken charge of Quanjian, Al Nassr and Guangzhou Evergrande. He also took temporary charge of China, before stints with Benevento and Udinese in Italy.
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Fox Sports
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The Club World Cup has faced pushback in Europe but FIFA is banking on its big bet
Associated Press The Club World Cup. A bold new era for the world's most popular sport — or a major inconvenience, shoe-horned into a soccer calendar that is already at saturation point? FIFA's newly expanded tournament kicks off June 14 in Miami against the backdrop of legal challenges in Europe, strike threats and repeated concerns over players' mental and physical welfare due to the increased number of games. There has been no shortage of pushback from Europe since the bumper new addition to soccer's landscape was announced in December 2023. Voices of dissent from the continent that will be sending the most teams to the tournament have continued virtually right up to its big launch. 'We want to protect football,' David Terrier, president of players' union FIFPRO Europe, said. 'It's a big problem and it's not just about the workload. The question is about the governance because the calendar is a consequence of the governance of football.' 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Both of those bodies want to be consulted about new competitions being added to the calendar and that was the basis of their case with the European Commission, said Mathieu Moreuil, vice president of European Leagues. 'I mean we sent in letters, we tried to engage, there was no real consultations through any kind of committees or anything,' he said. Moreuil spoke at a briefing held in Munich ahead of the Champions League final last month, which The Associated Press attended. It was evidence of the intention to continue to apply pressure to FIFA even in the final weeks before the Club World Cup kicks off. 'FIFA is the one dealing with world football and is the governing body and they should take care of the game,' Moreuil said. FIFA didn't reply to requests for comment. Big expectations Coaches and players in Latin America have not complained about having to play more matches. In Argentina there is huge expectation. According to FIFA, Boca Juniors was the first team to sell out tickets for its three group stage matches, likely helped by two games in Miami, where there is a large Argentine community. 'I'm going to the Club World Cup with the highest expectations," said new Boca head coach Miguel Ángel Russo. "I dream big.' Latin American teams have also been active in the transfer market, making marquee signings in preparation. Former Madrid captain Sergio Ramos joined Mexican team Monterrey. In Argentina, River Plate signed seven new players and Brazilian club Palmeiras paid 18 million euros ($20 million) for striker Paulinho. Wider reception In the host nation, there were joyous scenes when LAFC secured the last place in the tournament after a playoff victory against Club America of Mexico last month. 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It will be represented by its most successful team, Al-Hilal, which failed in an attempt to sign Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes in the weeks leading up to the tournament. ___ AP reporters Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo, Debora Rey in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and John Duerden in Seoul, South Korea, contributed. ___ James Robson is at ___ AP soccer: recommended
