Cannavaro on the match against South Korea: Why is Uzbekistan shifting to aggressive football?

The head coach of the Uzbekistan national team, a legend of world football, Fabio Cannavaro, tomorrow, October 6, South Korea attended a press conference ahead of the important friendly match against. The experienced specialist spoke openly about the strength of the upcoming serious opponent, the changes that occurred within the team after the World Cup, and the national team's new tactical philosophy.

Cannavaro emphasized that our national team is now adopting a modern, aggressive style of play that involves active pressing on the opponent rather than just sitting back in defense.

«Korea is a giant, but we must not lower our standards»

The head coach first addressed the conditions of the away match and the responsible tasks facing the team:

«Hello everyone. It is always a pleasure to come to South Korea. A very serious test awaits us tomorrow. After the World Cup, a number of natural changes were made in our national team. We must show our best quality football in the upcoming match.

It is no secret that Korea is one of the strongest teams on the continent. However, we will fight with all our might to achieve a positive result even on their home turf. This was the main thing I told the guys after the Mundial: we must maintain the high level we have achieved at all costs and set even bigger goals for ourselves every year».

Youth practice in top clubs: A demand made to the UFA

Fabio Cannavaro made an important call to local league clubs to ensure a smooth generational transition in the country's football:

• The issue of 17–21 year olds: The coach stated that he raised the issue of young talents sharply in his dialogue with the Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) and the National Teams Center;

• Regular practice in the Super League: Young players must have regular playing time in the starting lineup of top Super League clubs, not just be on the roster. Only in this way will their real potential be unlocked, and the mechanism for calling them up to the national team will naturally become easier.

From defensive block to aggressive pressing: Cannavaro's tactics

The specialist responded as follows to the media's question about why a more cautious defensive tactic was chosen in the matches after the World Cup:

• Initial caution: «In my first days in charge of the Uzbekistan national team, I decided not to take drastic risks and to maintain the previously established defensive order;

• Change of playing style: But after the World Cup, I clearly felt that the time had come to fundamentally change the style. We are currently working on new tactical concepts with the guys;

• Aggressive football philosophy: Over the past period, I witnessed that Uzbek players are naturally adapted to being determined and aggressive from a young age. The youth in this country are extremely talented. I am a proponent of aggressive and intense football. We are instilling this philosophy into the national team's mindset, and I am always ready to involve new names in the system and test their potential».