Cannavaro, a former Italy World Cup winning captain, has been appointed as the new coach of Udinese in Serie A. This will be his first coaching job in the Italian top division and he takes over from Gabriele Cioffi. Udinese is currently relegation-threatened and Cannavaro will be tasked with helping the team avoid dropping down a division.
Cannavaro has signed a contract to coach Udinese for the remaining six matches of the season, with his brother Paolo serving as his number one assistant. The decision to bring Cannavaro on board comes after Udinese’s 1-0 loss to Hellas Verona, leaving them dangerously close to the relegation zone along with 18th-place Frosinone. With Italy’s top division being highly competitive and unpredictable, this marks the 13th coaching change in Serie A this season.
While Cannavaro has coaching experience with clubs in China and the Middle East, this will be his first taste of managing a Serie A team. He previously coached Benevento in Serie B for part of last season. Cannavaro, a former center back, is best known for leading Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup, where he also won the Ballon d’Or. He will make his coaching debut for Udinese when their match against Roma resumes with just 19 minutes left to play.
Udinese has been in Serie A since 1995 and will be looking to secure their status in the top division under Cannavaro’s leadership. The match was halted on April 14 after Roma defender Evan Ndicka suffered a collapsed lung and had to be hospitalized. Ndicka has since been released from the hospital and is recovering. With Italy’s top division being highly competitive and unpredictable, this marks
