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Shanghai – Fabio Cannavaro The first task of the Chinese coach may well be to convince a skeptical public after his nomination has been criticized and even provoked by anger.
Former players and state media have questioned the references of the 2006 World Cup winner and the World Player of the Year, who has yet to win a major coaching trophy.
The Chinese Football Federation did not specify whether it was a permanent or temporary role for Cannavaro, who will remain responsible for the giants of the Chinese Super League, Guangzhou Evergrande.
"Cannavaro was great at the time, but as a coach, he still got nothing," commented the Youth Daily, saying his appointment had "caused a public outcry".
"Cannavaro's achievements as a player are indisputable," the daily Li Yan, a former international, told the newspaper.
"However, his decisions during the matches and his performances as a head coach are not convincing enough."
The rise of the 45-year-old Italian – the mentor and predecessor Marcello Lippi remaining advisor – has been widely predicted in the Chinese media.
But skeptics said the former central defender of Juventus and Real Madrid had done little to prove that he deserved this job after being confirmed by a discreet announcement released last week.
In the first full season of Cannavaro with Evergrande last year, the South team gave up its seven-year hold on the Chinese league trophy.
Previously, Cannavaro had spent seven months at Evergrande before being fired in 2014 and won the promotion with Tianjin Quanjian in 2016, placing them in third place in the CSL rankings the following year.
"Not the norm"
"Her knowledge and understanding of Chinese football could be her biggest advantage," said Youth Daily, echoing the words of the CFA when she named Cannavaro.
He also has a good record across the young players, the newspaper said.
Some media have speculated that both of the host's matches during this week's China Cup would constitute an audition allowing the former defender to get the position permanently.
Eight Evergrande players were named in the squad before Thursday's clashes against Thailand and Monday's match against Uzbekistan or Uruguay.
But Li warned that the overwhelming presence of Evergrande in the team could cause problems with players from other clubs.
China and Cannavaro – if there is more than the next two matches – are preparing for the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers, which will begin in September.
China reached the World Cup only once, in 2002, when it failed to win a point or even score a goal.
The Guangzhou Daily newspaper noted that Cannavaro's appointment was just days after Evergrande had been beaten 3-1 by South African newcomer Daegu in the Asian Champions League.
"Is he good enough to take responsibility for Evergrande and the national football team?" he asked. "These are still interrogation points."
The Oriental Sports Daily, based in Shanghai, was very scathing on the dual role of Cannavaro.
"If this part-time job becomes the norm for a long time in the future, it is absolutely not – and should not be either," he said.
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