Fabio Cannavaro could become the first managerial casualty of the decision to postpone the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
The Asian Football Confederation announced on Tuesday that the tournament will no longer begin in January 2027. Instead, it will start in December of the same year.
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Cannavaro may consider leaving his role as head coach of the Uzbekistan national team following the change to the competition schedule.
The former Italy international took charge of Uzbekistan in October last year. He led the team at the 2026 World Cup, where they lost all three of their group-stage matches against Colombia, Portugal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Cannavaro’s immediate objective had been to guide Uzbekistan through the 2027 Asian Cup. The draw placed them in a group alongside Jordan, North Korea and Bahrain, with the tournament expected to provide the next significant competitive test of his tenure.
That plan has now been disrupted by the delay. Uzbekistan is not scheduled to play any official matches in the coming months, a situation that could influence Cannavaro’s decision over whether to continue in charge.
The fixtures currently listed during that period are friendly matches involving Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia. Uzbekistan are scheduled to face Russia on 12 November 2026, while Saudi Arabia are due to play South Korea on 13 November 2026.
The postponement means Cannavaro’s next competitive involvement with Uzbekistan will not come in the originally planned January window. Instead, the team’s Asian Cup campaign has been moved to the end of 2027, extending the period without a formal fixture for the side.
Cannavaro’s appointment began in October last year and has included the major achievement of taking Uzbekistan to the 2026 World Cup. However, their group-stage campaign ended without a point after defeats by Colombia, Portugal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Italian’s potential departure would therefore come before Uzbekistan begin their delayed Asian Cup campaign, where they had been drawn to meet Jordan, North Korea and Bahrain. No decision has been confirmed, but the change to the tournament calendar has raised uncertainty over whether Cannavaro will remain in the post.
