GUANGZHOU FC has terminated its contract with Italian coach Fabio Cannavaro, the club announced Tuesday.

A source close to the club told Xinhua that Guangzhou’s former captain Zheng Zhi will take charge of the team after Cannavaro’s depature.

Cannavaro, who was captain of Italy’s World Cup winning team in 2006, started his second spell in charge of Guangzhou in 2017 and delivered the Chinese Super League title two years later.

But the 48-year-old former Juventus and Real Madrid defender did not return to China last week, leading to speculation about his future with the club, which is owned by Evergrande. The embattled real estate company is struggling to avoid a default on billions of dollars of debt.

“We would like to thank Fabio Cannavaro for all of his effort and contribution to Guangzhou and wish him all the best in the future,” the club said in a statement on its website.

Cannavaro coached the team to second-place finishes in 2018 and 2020.

Guangzhou, with eight titles in the past decade, had to release Paulinho and his compatriot Talisca in the summer as they could not enter China due to travel restrictions.

(SD-Xinhua)