‘Pleasure and honour’: World Cup-winner thrilled with Everton interest

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Serie A legend Fabio Cannavaro insists that he was honoured to hold talks with Premier League duo Everton and Watford as the World Cup winner looks to launch his managerial career, speaking to Calciomercato. 

‘Great players don’t make great coaches’, huh?

It’s fair to say that old adage has been proven emphatically wide of the mark over the course of the last decade. Pep Guardiola, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Enrique and Antonio Conte have seen to that.

Now, Ballon D’Or winner and former Juventus, Real Madrid and Italy star Fabio Cannavaro, is looking to prove that he, too, belongs amid such exalted company. 

Arguably the finest central defender of his generation held talks with Everton owner Farhad Moshiri in January, following the departure of Rafael Benitez (Telegraph).

The Toffees opted for Frank Lampard instead, however. Perhaps they felt the Chelsea legend’s Premier League know-how could be a crucial factor in their battle against the drop. 

But Cannavaro, who also held talks with Watford and Brazilian giants Corinthians, has not been put off by that Goodison Park snub as he weighs up his next move.

Is Frank Lampard the right man for Everton?

“I observe, I improve myself, I memorise data. I’m in no hurry to choose (my next club). I wait,” explains Cannavaro, who guided Tianjin Quanjian and Guangzhou Evergrande to silverware before a short stint in charge of the Chinese national team. 

“I had the opportunity to speak with the Polish Federation. But I would have had little time to prepare for a World Cup play-off which, unfortunately, will not be played because there is a war involved.”

Poland were given a bye to the play-off finals after opponents Russia were kicked out by FIFA this week.

“I’ve had the pleasure and honour of speaking with Everton, Watford and Corinthians,” Cannavaro adds.

“I look around (at the available jobs) and we’ll see. I don’t want to make a mistake with my choice.” 

Everton have lost four of their first seven matches under Lampard. That includes a 3-1 defeat by relegation rivals Newcastle and Monday’s 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Tottenham.