Croatian top-flight club Dinamo Zagreb has confirmed the appointment of former Italian international Fabio Cannavaro as their new head coach.
The club made the announcement in a statement published on its official website on Sunday.
“Fabio Cannavaro is the new coach of GNK Dinamo’s first team. This decision by the club’s management and the sports director was supported this evening by the club president and the Executive Board during the 15th session of the Executive Committee,” the statement partly read.
Fabio Cannavaro, a former defender for Juventus and Real Madrid, was part of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning team.
Recognized for his professionalism and leadership, Cannavaro was honored with the Ballon d’Or in the same year.
Dinamo Zagreb currently occupies third place in the domestic HNL league with 29 points, trailing table leaders Rijeka and Hajduk Split.
The club’s Chief Executive Officer, Zvonimir Manenica, stated that the team’s underwhelming results in the league prompted the management to appoint Cannavaro.
“The club’s management decided that we had to take necessary steps to stop this negative crisis because such poor results in the domestic league haven’t been seen in a long time. We thank Coach Bjelica for everything he has done. He gave his all and achieved great results in the Champions League, but the domestic league is the club’s priority, and unfortunately, the results there were lacking.
“We have the opportunity to take the club to the next level in Europe, but this is only possible by winning the title. We are aware of the risks and responsibilities, and this was not a hasty decision. It was carefully analysed to determine the best course of action without the daily pressures that come with Dinamo’s high ambitions. This is why we waited to make the decision after the match with Varaždin and took our time to decide calmly,” Manenica said, among others.
Cannavaro will join the first team at their gathering on January 3, 2025, when he will also be officially introduced.
The Italian tactician’s first test will come up on January 22 when they visit the Emirates Stadium in London, in their Champions League encounter against Arsenal.