Three former assistant coaches of the head coach of Uzbekistan national team Srečko Katanec filed a lawsuit to the Dispute Resolution Chamber of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) against the Uzbekistan Football Association (UFA) demanding €350,000.

Their contracts were valid through the summer of 2026, but were terminated following the appointment of a new coaching staff led by Fabio Cannavaro.

They were offered a transfer to work with youth teams, which they declined, explaining that their contracts were specifically for coaching the national team for the World Cup.

In response, the Uzbekistan Football Association stated that the contracts of the former head coach's assistants had been automatically terminated under the clause in their contracts stating: "In the event of termination of the head coach's contract, the contracts with his assistants shall also be deemed terminated."

"The termination of the head coach's contract by mutual onsent and the arrival of a new coaching staff means the termination of the employment contacts with the previous coaching staff," the Association added.

The UFA noted that including such a clause in employment contracts was normal practice according to the FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rules.

Srečko Katanec's coaching staff included five coaches from Slovenia: assistants Aleš Čech and Vlado Radmanović, fitness coach Martin Magister, goalkeeper's coach Nihad Pejković, and physiotherapist Ian Katanec.

Srečko Katanec coached the Uzbekistan national team from August 2021 and left his post in January 2025 due to health issues. Timur Kapadze, who, along with members of Katanec's staff, led Uzbekistan to its first-ever World Cup, took charge of the national team.

The UFA signed a contract with Fabio Cannavaro, 52, on October 6.