Fabio Cannavaro, head coach of the Uzbekistan national football team, stated that the team is undergoing intensive preparations for the upcoming World Cup. The Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) released his quotes from a press conference.
At the press conference, Cannavaro emphasized that preparations have already been intensified. “We are seriously preparing for the World Cup and working very hard. We are all eagerly waiting to fly to the World Cup,” the coach said.
According to him, the coaching staff has been monitoring all candidates over the past months to select worthy players for the national team. “If someone is not called up to the national team, it means they have not yet convinced me with their performance. I did not pay attention to the age of the players when selecting them,” Cannavaro noted.
The coach also highlighted that strong opponents were chosen for friendly matches to adapt players to high pressure and speed. “We tried to select the strongest and most competitive opponents possible. Canada, as the tournament host, creates a high-level football environment and a great atmosphere. This will be an important experience for our players. The Netherlands is one of the strongest teams in Europe,” he said.
Cannavaro noted that the playing style of the Netherlands is similar in some aspects to the Portuguese national team, which will be a useful test for the team. He also added that UFA's cooperation with international federations made it possible to arrange matches against strong opponents.
The coach also touched on the condition of some key players. He stated that Jaloliddin Masharipov has great experience and can greatly help the team if he reaches optimal form. He also highly praised Abbosbek Fayzullaev's hard work and fighting character. Cannavaro said that Abdukodir Khusanov and Eldor Shomurodov are in good shape, while some players have not yet reached optimal form due to injuries or lack of playing time. “There is still time, and we believe they will recover soon,” he said.
In Cannavaro's opinion, the most important thing for Uzbekistan's first World Cup is to create an atmosphere of confidence and freedom, not excessive pressure. “This is our first World Cup. Therefore, we should give the players not pressure, but the spirit of enjoying the game. I believe our team will perform worthily for our people,” Cannavaro stated.
He also noted that during the training camps, the main focus is on improving the team's physical fitness. According to the coach, the players are currently giving their all in training. Additionally, he shared his main ambition: “One of my main ambitions is to win the Asian Cup. We will do our best to achieve this goal. The World Cup will be a platform for experience, while at the Asian Cup we will fight for results,” the head coach concluded.
Source: www.gazeta.uz