January 23 – Despite being close to qualifying for the World Cup finals for the first time, Uzbekistan head coach Srečko Katanec resigned on Wednesday citing undisclosed health reasons.
The Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) said Katanec “expressed his regret that he could no longer fulfil his duties professionally and completely in his current condition.”
In a statement the UFA wished him “a full recovery and success in his future coaching career.” Details of the 61-year-old Slovenian coach’s health issues were not given.
Katanec, who coached his native country at the 2002 World Cup, stepped down less than two months before qualifiers against Kyrgyzstan and Iran.
Katanec took over in August 2021 and has steered Uzbekistan to second in their Asian qualifying group, three points behind leaders Iran and three ahead of third-placed UAE with four matches remaining. The top two advance to the finals directly.
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