Fabio Kanavaro coach of Dinamo Zagreb

Former Italian footballer Fabio Cannavaro has been appointed as the new coach of Dinamo Zagreb, the Croatian champion announced this evening.

At tonight's meeting, Dinamo's executive board first dismissed former coach Nenad Bjelica, due to poor results in the Croatian Football League (HNL).

"The result is the most important rule in football, and in 11 rounds in the HNL we have achieved only four victories and we have one of the worst scoring streaks in the domestic championship. It is never a good time to change coaches, but we decided to make this move now so that the new "The coach had time to convey his ideas to the players during the preparations and that everyone is ready to wait for the continuation of the championship. We want a turnaround in the results in the HNL," said Dinamo's sports director Marko Marić, the club reported.

This was followed by the decision to appoint the 51-year-old Kanavar as coach of the Zagreb team. In his coaching career so far, Cannavaro led Guangzhou, the Chinese national team, as well as the Italian teams Benevento and Udinese, among other things.

During his playing career, Canavaro won the World Cup in 2006 with the Italian national team, for which he received the "Golden Ball" award in the same year.

"The new coach cultivates the style of play that we need for the return of dominance in the HNL, builds the game and imposes dominance. It is about great charisma that can convey rich playing experience, but also coaching, considering that he has behind him results in China where was a champion. He is hungry for success and that is why he was waiting for the challenge of a club that belongs to the top and has the ambition to win the title," added Marić.

After the first part of the season, Dinamo ranks third in the Croatian championship table with 29 points, seven less than Rijeka and Hajduk Split.

In the Champions League, two rounds before the end, Dinamo is in 24th place with eight points. In the remaining two rounds, the Zagreb team visits Arsenal in London and welcomes Milan.