As Uzbekistan's national football team nears qualifying for the FIFA Men's World Cup finals for the first time, head coach Srečko Katanec announced his resignation on Wednesday due to health reasons.
The Uzbekistan Football Association stated that Katanec "expressed his regret that he can no longer perform his duties professionally and completely in his current condition."
In a statement, the association wished him "a full recovery and success in his future coaching career." Details about the health issues affecting the 61-year-old Slovenian coach were not disclosed.
Katanec led Uzbekistan to secure second place in their group during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with matches set to resume in March.
Iran tops the six-team group, with four rounds remaining. The top two teams from the group will qualify for the tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Teams finishing third and fourth will advance to another group stage.
Since his appointment in 2021, Katanec has guided the Uzbekistan team to the quarterfinals of the 2023 Asian Cup and created their best chance yet to qualify for the World Cup since becoming an independent footballing nation after the Soviet Union's dissolution.
Asia now has eight spots in the FIFA World Cup, expanded to 48 teams from the previous 32-team format that ended in 2022.
Uzbekistan is the fifth national team coached by Katanec, who also managed Slovenia twice, including leading them to their first appearance in the European Championship in 2000.
