Uzbekistan national team head coach Fabio Cannavaro has commented on the team's performance at the World Cup, where they finished the group stage with three losses. The interview with the Italian specialist was published by Championat.asia.

When asked if the result could be considered a failure, Cannavaro said he understands the fans' reaction: 'Of course, I understand the fans. You know, they always want to support the team and win. But for us... When I saw the draw results, I said how difficult and cruel the World Cup could be for us. Because I knew the difference. I sensed how hard this tournament would be for the team.'

According to the coach, the pressure of Uzbekistan's first World Cup appearance affected the team's performance: 'Because when it happens for the first time, you feel the pressure and suffer from it. We paid the price. Throughout the three matches, I constantly asked my players to focus entirely on the game. I tried to encourage them and relieve the pressure, because I knew it could weigh them down.'

He emphasized that the team, coaching staff, and federation gained crucial experience: 'But honestly, I think all my players realized how difficult it is to play at this level. We did our best, and that was the most important thing for me. We gained wonderful experience — not only the players, but also me, our staff, and the federation. We saw how beautiful it is to be here, and of course, to return to the World Cup in the future, everyone must work on themselves and show even more.'

Cannavaro also responded to criticism over frequent lineup changes. He fielded 23 of the 26 players on the roster: 'Of course, I am the head coach. My only regret is that I couldn't give a chance to three players. Because my goal was to let every player feel the excitement and emotions of the World Cup.'

He explained that some changes were due to injuries and player condition: 'I changed some players because we had many injury problems before the tournament. Some players were not in form because they hadn't had match practice at their clubs for four months.'

He added that he trusts all the players who were in the squad: 'But you know, football is such a thing: if you field one player, someone asks why another didn't play. If you field another, it's the same. I trust all the players who were with me, because I knew they could perform well, and I gave everyone a chance.'

Cannavaro stated that he takes responsibility but does not consider all decisions wrong: 'And of course, it's always my mistake because I am the head coach and I take all responsibility. But I don't think everything was wrong. We gained great experience, tried to improve our football, and give players new ideas. At times, we played very good football.'

According to him, the team had good periods against Colombia and DR Congo, while the toughest match was against Portugal: 'If you remember, the match against Colombia and the first half against Congo were excellent. Of course, the game against Portugal was the hardest. But believe me, the guys gave their all on the field. That was the most important thing for me.'

'Sometimes they criticize me if I don't smile on the field, and they talk if I smile. That's normal,' he added.

Speaking about the team's future and preparation for the Asian Cup, Cannavaro admitted that he barely changed the playing system, which had been adapted to three defenders under Srečko Katanec: 'Of course, we changed almost nothing because the team was always used to playing with three defenders. Sometimes with four, but in most matches it was three. Before the tournament, we lost a very important defender [Husniddin Aliqulov].'

The coach noted that the team will try to make changes but must learn to control the game and avoid late collapses: 'I think it's normal now to try to change something. But even if the system changes, we must always learn to control the game and stay in the match until the end. Because that is one of our biggest problems. We conceded two or three goals in the last 10 minutes. I mean exactly that — staying in the game. Because at this level, mistakes in the final minutes are inevitably punished.'

He said the team will reconvene in September: 'In September, we will gather again, continue our work, and try to change something. If the World Cup was a big experience for us, the Asian Cup is our main goal.'

It is worth noting that after the World Cup, Fabio Cannavaro will travel from the USA to Italy, not to Tashkent. He stated that after two months of work, the team needs rest, and the next meeting will be in September.

On June 30, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called for support of the national team after their World Cup participation. According to him, the players gained important experience, and searching for those to blame or expressing excessive emotions is 'not characteristic of our people.' He emphasized that big victories are still ahead.

Source: www.gazeta.uz