Fabio Cannavaro waiting on US$30 million Guangzhou Evergrande payout: reports
- Chinese media suggest that under-fire Guangzhou Evergrande coach could earn 200 million yuan if he waits to be dismissed
- Chinese Super League giants finished trophyless this season after first exit from AFC Champions League group stage
While the writing appears to be on the wall for Guanzghou Evergrande manager Fabio Cannavaro, domestic media have reported that he is likely to wait out on a bumper contract payout of up to 200 million yuan (US$30.6 million).
Speculation over the Fifa World Cup winner’s future grew after the Chinese Super League giants confirmed a new management structure early Saturday morning, the day after their exit from the AFC Champions League group stage was confirmed.
Veteran China international Zheng Zhi was installed as the club’s new general manager, with the 40-year-old reporting directly to the chairman Xu Jiayin and the head coach – currently Cannavaro – reporting to him. Zheng served as a player-assistant to Cannavaro this season.
Despite the change, which domestic media such as Nanfang Daily have speculated would leave Cannavaro in charge of training and tactics, there has been no word on Cannavaro leaving the club.
According to reports that is because if the Italian – who is said to be on US$14.5 million a year – waits to be fired then will be paid out for the remainder of his contract. There are two years left on the contract he signed when he rejoined the club in 2018.
There have been reports that Cannavaro did not return to China after his side’s exit from the group stage in Doha, Qatar, instead returning to his native Italy.
Guangzhou Evergrande crash out of AFC Champions League
Cannavaro has come in for criticism during the season, most recently when they drew 1-1 with Suwon Samsung Bluewings last week to leave qualification out of their hands.
Fans called for him to be sacked following that result, calling for his head on the club’s official Weibo account.
This was the first season since 2010 that the club have not won any silverware, finishing runners-up to Jiangsu Suning in the CSL’s new format. It was also the first time that the club has not got out of the AFC Champions League group stage.
The postmortems into the Cannavaro reign have been swift, with the Guangzhou-based newspaper Yangcheng Evening News pointing to four failings for the Italian.
Cannavaro is the worst manager since Evergrande Group took over the club in 2010, they said. He is the only manager to finish second in the CSL and he has done so twice in his three seasons.
There was no CFA Super Cup this season – that was the first game cancelled by the coronavirus in China – and they sent a third-string side out to play the Chinese FA Cup, duly losing to Zhenjiang Huansa.
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Cannavaro was also criticised for choosing to send Ricardo Goulart and Alan Carvalho – both naturalised Chinese footballers – out on loan for the season and for some of his other selections over the season.
His position had come into doubt earlier in his Evergrande career. His first stint in charge ended with him being allowed to leave for Tianjin Quanjian, who he got promoted and then guided to the AFC Champions League places.
