The head coach of Dynamo, Marcel Lichka, shared insights in an interview with "SE" about his interactions with World Cup champion Fabio Cannavaro from the Italian national team.
Previously, Lichka and Cannavaro participated in the Winline LPL Cup padel tournament.
— Now you will have a line in Wikipedia: “Defeated Cannavaro.”
— That’s in padel, ha-ha. Not in football. But you could say it’s also in football. I met Fabio once during a friendly match when he was coaching in China. We played against Guangzhou, around 2019. We won 2-0. But that’s not important. I spoke with Fabio; he has knee problems. It’s tough. I, for instance, have an Achilles issue. I played two games, and I already feel the pain. I have a great partner—Armiche (Dynamo's fitness coach, Armiche Vega, is noted by "SE"). He plays, keeps the ball a lot, while I try not to interfere (laughs).
— Did you manage to discuss anything else with Fabio?
— Yes, to be honest, it was a surprise for me... When we met, I mentioned [that match in China]. He replied, “Yes, yes, I remember.” It was nice. Yesterday we talked a bit. I asked how life was treating him. Then we also spoke with Panucci. His mother is Czech, and he has a Czech passport as well, so he travels to Prague. That’s why we spoke in Czech. I also chatted with Vincent Candela. The football world is small. Once someone has played at a certain level, you can meet them later (smiles).
— Fabio Cannavaro is currently without a club. Perhaps you could invite him to Dynamo’s coaching staff?
— But Fabio is working as a head coach. He should be a head coach, not an assistant. If I were in Fabio's position, I would also be looking for opportunities to be a head coach. However, if I ever get tired of being the main one, and my brother, Mario, asks me to assist him—I will help.
Cannavaro is a World Cup champion from 2006 as part of the Italian national team. The 51-year-old former defender is best known for his time with Napoli, Inter, Juventus, and Real Madrid.
Read the full interview with Marcel Lichka on the "SE" website.