Fabio Cannavaro departs Dinamo Zagreb after just 100 days

Fabio Cannavaro (Photo: Дмитрий Садовников/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Fabio Cannavaro is no longer the head coach of Dinamo Zagreb, the club said in a statement on Wednesday.

The 51-year-old’s stint in charge lasted just over three months, during which he led the team in 14 competitive matches, as well as three friendlies.

Cannavaro took the reins at the end of December, stepping in for Nenad Bjelica with the goal of helping Dinamo regain control in the domestic league and maintain strong European form.

The former Ballon d’Or winner arrived with high expectations, bringing experience, charisma, and a reputation for building composed, attacking football.

During his time in Zagreb, Cannavaro recorded seven wins and five losses. His most memorable moment came with a historic 2–1 victory over Italian giants AC Milan, boosting Dinamo’s tally in the Champions League group stage to a club-record 11 points.

Despite this impressive showing, a dramatic set of results in other matches denied the team a place in the knockout rounds.

However, Cannavaro struggled to maintain consistency in the Croatian league. In ten HNL matches, he registered five wins, two draws, and three defeats.

Dinamo remained in third place, and their Croatian Cup campaign came to an end in the quarter-finals, where they were narrowly beaten 1–0 by Osijek in tough, waterlogged conditions at Maksimir.

The final straw came with a disappointing 3–0 loss away to Istra 1961 in Pula, which ultimately sealed his fate.

Despite the short tenure, Dinamo expressed gratitude for Cannavaro’s efforts:

“We sincerely thank coach Cannavaro for his dedication, commitment, and professionalism, and we wish him all the best in his future sporting and personal journey.”

Until a new permanent head coach is appointed, assistant coach Sandro Perković will step in as interim manager.