Chinese Super League: Guangzhou Evergrande coach Fabio Cannavaro's future in jeopardy after slow start to season

Beijing: Fabio Cannavaro’s future as coach of Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande is in doubt after the team ordered the 2006 World Cup champion to corporate headquarters to attend an “enterprise culture studies class.”

The notice on the team website said the former Italy captain was expected to report before noon Monday, with captain Zheng Zhi taking over as acting coach.

The order follows a string of disappointing results for the team, capped by a 2-2 draw against mid-table Henan Jianye on Sunday, the club’s third-straight league match without a win.

Despite that, Guangzhou remains a point ahead of Shanghai SIPG at the top of the league standings and two points clear of Beijing Guoan. The team’s next game is against SIPG on 22 November.

Cannavaro briefly did double-duty as coach of the Chinese national team before quitting earlier this year after only two games — losses against Uzbekistan and Thailand — saying he wanted to focus on his job at Guangzhou.

Following his playing career as a Ballon d’Or-winning defender, the 46-year-old Cannavaro coached in the Middle East and China, including a first stint with Guangzhou before returning to the club in 2017.