Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Guangzhou: Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro has joined the coaching staff of 2013 AFC Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande.
Sky Sports has reported that Cannavaro, who was recently at AFC House promoting the Asian matches of the Global Legends Series he co-founded, will work alongside former boss Marcello Lippi in the role as ‘executive head coach’, with the 66-year-old still involved in the management of the team but in a more supervisory capacity.
It was initially thought that Lippi had announced his retirement after leading Guangzhou Evergrande to their fourth successive Chinese Super League title last weekend but the former Juventus manager, who led Cannavaro and the Azzuri to their World Cup triumph in Germany, revealed that he actually wanted a more withdrawn role to allow him to spend more time with his family in Italy.
"There might be some misunderstanding about what I said before, that I would give up and ditch the team," Sky Sports’ website quoted Lippi as saying.
"No, I'm still the chief director and the head coach of the team, I'm just not going to be on the pitch every day.
"I couldn't do anything when my family had issues, I couldn't stand that I had to visit home (only) every six months.
"So I suggested the team should find an executive head coach, which would allow me to visit home every two months."
Cannavaro’s appointment to the South China Tigers sees the 2006 World Footballer of the Year continue his coaching career in Asia, having enjoyed a successful spell as assistant coach to Cosmin Olaroiu at UAE side Al Ahli, where the former Juventus, Parma and Real Madrid defender ended his playing career.
Photo: AFP