Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, who masterminded Guangzhou Evergrande's Chinese Super League title victory and Chinese Super Cup triumph during his brilliant four-year stint, has returned to coaching after a one-year hiatus with Italian side Benevento. 

The 49-year-old player-turned-coach will replace Fabio Caserta, who was sacked by Benevento earlier this week after the Serie B team won only two of their opening six matches of the new season, according to a statement released on Wednesday. 

It will be Cannavaro's first managerial job in Europe after spending almost a decade in charge of teams in Asia following his retirement in 2011. 

He enjoyed spells of domination with Saudi Arabian giants Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr before guiding Tianjin Quanjian to the Asian Champions League for the first time in the club's history.  

He later moved to Guangzhou to replace renowned Brazilian tactician Luiz Felipe Scolari and won plaudits for his man-management skills and a penchant for free-flowing football. 

Cannavaro briefly dipped his toes into international management alongside his club responsibilities at Guangzhou when he was appointed head coach of the China national team in 2019. 

However, he failed to instigate an improvement in China's fortune before leaving the post by mutual consent. He had been out of work since exiting Guangzhou in September last year after the club owner Evergrande Group was engulfed in a financial crisis. 

A Ballon d'Or winner and FIFA World Player of the Year in 2006, Cannavaro will have a mammoth task ahead of him. In stark contrast with his former employers, Benevento is operated with a shoestring budget and boasts few quality stars. 

The Italian minnows last appeared in the top division in 2020-21 but could not avoid relegation with a leaky defense. Benevento currently sits 13th in Serie B and guiding the struggling team to another Serie A promotion after such a slow start is going to be a tall order, especially for the relatively inexperienced Cannavaro.