UDINE, Italy (AP) — Fabio Cannavaro, captain of the Italy squad that won the 2006 World Cup, was given his first Serie A coaching job on Monday at relegation-threatened Udinese.

Cannavaro becomes Udinese’s third coach this season. He replaces the fired Gabriele Cioffi, who had taken over from Andrea Sottil in October.

Cannavaro was given a contract for the final six matches of the season. His brother, Paolo, will be his number one assistant.

The move comes after a 1-0 loss at Hellas Verona on Saturday left Udinese one spot above the drop zone and level on points with 18th-place Frosinone.

Udinese has been in the top division uninterrupted since 1995.

While Cannavaro has coached several clubs in China and the Middle East, his only managerial experience in Italy came with Benevento in Serie B for part of last season.

A former center back, Cannavaro won the Ballon d’Or after helping Italy beat France in the 2006 World Cup final.