Fabio Cannavaro

"Cannavaro" redirects here. For his brother, see Paolo Cannavaro.
Fabio Cannavaro

Cannavaro in 2015
Personal information
Full name Fabio Cannavaro[1]
Date of birth (1973-09-13) 13 September 1973
Place of birth Naples, Italy
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)[2]
Playing position Centre-back
Club information
Current team
 Tianjin Quanjian (manager)
Youth career
1988–1992 Napoli
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1995 Napoli 58 (1)
1995–2002 Parma 212 (5)
2002–2004 Internazionale 50 (2)
2004–2006 Juventus 74 (6)
2006–2009 Real Madrid 94 (0)
2009–2010 Juventus 27 (0)
2010–2011 Al-Ahli 16 (2)
Total 531 (16)
National team
1993–1996 Italy U21 21 (0)
1997–2010 Italy 136 (2)
Teams managed
2013–2014 Al-Ahli (assistant)
2014–2015 Guangzhou Evergrande
2015–2016 Al-Nassr
2016– Tianjin Quanjian

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Fabio Cannavaro, Ufficiale OMRI (Italian pronunciation: [ˈfaːbjo kannaˈvaːro]; born 13 September 1973) is an Italian former professional footballer and current manager of Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian.

Cannavaro is considered to be one of the greatest defenders of all time. He spent the majority of his career in Italy. He started his career at Napoli, before spending seven years at Parma, with whom he won two Coppa Italia titles, the 1999 Supercoppa Italiana, and the 1999 UEFA Cup. After spells at Internazionale and Juventus, he transferred along with manager Fabio Capello from Juventus to Real Madrid in 2006, with whom he won consecutive La Liga titles in 2007 and 2008. After returning to Juventus for one season in 2009–10, he joined Al-Ahli in Dubai, where he retired from football in 2011 after an injury-troubled season. After his retirement, he became a member of the coaching staff of Al-Ahli, notably as global ambassador and technical director from 2011 to 2013, and as an assistant coach from 2013 to 2014. In November 2014, he was appointed as head coach of Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande. On June 9, 2016, he signed a contract with second tier Chinese club Tianjin Quanjian as manager.

Cannavaro has also achieved success with the Italian national team. He was part of the Italy team that won consecutive Under-21 European Championships in 1994 and 1996. After earning his first senior cap in 1997, he helped his national team to the final of Euro 2000, being named to the team of the tournament, and eventually became captain in 2002, following Paolo Maldini's retirement. Cannavaro led Italy to victory in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, and was given the nickname "Il Muro di Berlino" ("The Berlin Wall") by the Italian supporters due to his defensive performances, which saw Italy keep five clean sheets and concede only two goals, neither of which were in open play; he was later awarded the Silver Ball after being named the tournament's second best player. In 2009, he overtook Maldini as the most capped player in the country's history. He retired from international football on 25 June 2010 following Italy's failure to qualify for the knock-out stages of the 2010 World Cup, having amassed 136 caps and scored two goals for the senior national team.[3] In total, he has represented Italy at four FIFA World Cups, two UEFA European Championships, the 1996 Summer Olympics, and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He is currently Italy's second all-time appearance holder, behind Gianluigi Buffon, and has made the most appearances for Italy as captain (79).

He was named the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, and won the Ballon d'Or award in 2006 which made him the only defender to win the award in a decade and only the third of all time after Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer, both of Germany.[4][5] In 2007 he was in the six man shortlist for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.[6] His younger brother Paolo is also a professional footballer, who plays for Italian side Sassuolo.

Club career

Early career

Cannavaro was born in Naples to Gelsomina Costanzo and Pasquale Cannavaro. His mother worked as a maid, while his father was a bank clerk; his father also played football for provincial side Giugliano. He has an elder sister named Renata, who was married at the age of 15. He also has a younger brother named Paolo, who plays football as well.[7] As a youngster, Cannavaro played for a team from Bagnoli before being quickly spotted by the scouts of Napoli, his childhood team.[8][9][10]

1992–1995: Napoli

A 17-year-old Cannavaro trains with the Napoli youth side

Cannavaro initially served as the club's ball boy and would often watch his idols Diego Maradona and Ciro Ferrara play; he later joined the club's youth team. He gained a reputation when, in a training session at Napoli, the young Fabio produced a strong tackle on Maradona, who was then the undisputed star of the club. The rough challenge angered teammates and staff at Napoli; Maradona himself, however, defended the promising player and encouraged him to play the way he wanted.[8][9][10]

His progress as a player was such that he soon became a member of the first team alongside some of his childhood idols. Cannavaro's debut in Serie A came on 7 March 1993, in Turin, in a 4–3 defeat to Juventus.[11] As a centreback alongside Ferrara, he soon demonstrated his anticipation, tackling, distribution, and his ability to start attacking plays after winning back possession. He scored his first career goal at the San Siro stadium, against Milan, on 8 January 1995.[12] However, despite his promising performances, the post-Maradona Napoli were in desperate need of funds and were soon forced to sell Cannavaro to Parma, where Cannavaro won the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia, and was named the Serie A Defender of the Year. Cannavaro remained at Napoli until 1995, earning nearly 60 total appearances with the club, scoring one goal.[8][9][10]

1995–2002: Parma

Cannavaro was sold to Parma in the summer of 1995 and in his first season, he was instantly a regular in the first team, scoring once in 29 appearances in the league. He would go on not only to win trophies with the club, but also achieve several personal accomplishments, being named the team's captain. It was also in Parma that he met Gianluigi Buffon and Lilian Thuram, who would not only form one of the tightest defensive units of Europe with Cannavaro but would also become some of his closest friends in football. Further players featuring in this legendary Parma backline were Luigi Sartor, Roberto Mussi, Antonio Benarrivo, Luigi Apolloni and the Argentine Néstor Sensini. Cannavaro began to obtain success during his time at Parma. During his first season, Parma were eliminated in the second round of the Coppa Italia, but finished in sixth place in Serie A that season, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Parma also reached the quarter-finals of the 1995–96 European Cup Winners' Cup that season. Parma finished the 1996–97 Serie A season as runners-up to Serie A Champions Juventus, allowing them to qualify for the UEFA Champions League the following season. Parma were once again eliminated in the second round of the Coppa Italia and in the first round of the UEFA Cup that season. In the 1997–98 season, Parma finished in fifth place in Serie A and reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals, whilst they were knocked out in the group stage of the Champions League, finishing second in their group to defending champions Borussia Dortmund.[8][9][10]

In his fourth season with the club, Cannavaro won his only European trophy, the UEFA Cup, as well as winning the Coppa Italia. Parma finished the Serie A season in fourth place, one point from Fiorentina in the third place spot. In the following season, Fabio's brother Paolo joined the team, and the two Cannavaro brothers were able to play alongside each other for the next two seasons. Fabio won his first Supercoppa Italiana title against Serie A Champions Milan and Parma finished the Serie A season in fourth place, tied with Inter for the final remaining Champions League spot. Parma however lost 3–1 to Inter in the Serie A Champions League playoff match failing to qualify for the Champions League Group Stage. They started in the third and final qualifying round of the Champions League and were knocked out by Rangers. They were knocked out in the round of 16 of both the UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia that season.[8][9][10]

In the 2000–01 season, Cannavaro aided in leading Parma to another Coppa Italia Final, in which they were defeated by Fiorentina. They were eliminated in the third round of the UEFA Cup that season. Parma also finished the season in fourth place for the third consecutive season, which allowed them to go through to the Champions League qualifying round, although Parma were ultimately unable to qualify. In his final season with Parma, Cannavaro managed to win his second Coppa Italia title, over Juventus, whilst Parma were eliminated in the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup, and finished the Serie A season in 10th place. As from 1997, he began to earn call-ups to the national team's senior squad due to his performances for Parma, and he was consistently one of the best defenders in Serie A. In his time with Parma, Cannavaro made over 250 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals.[8][9][10]

2002–2004: Internazionale

In the summer of 2002, Cannavaro joined Internazionale for a reported €23 million, on a four-year contract.[13] At the time, Parma were in financial difficulty, while Inter had just lost a Serie A title in dramatic circumstances to Juventus and were in the process of rebuilding following four barren years and the departure of star striker Ronaldo. Along with Francesco Coco and his former Parma teammate Hernán Crespo, Cannavaro was supposed to be one of the faces of a new-look Inter led by Héctor Cúper.[8][9][10]

During his spell with the club, however, they mostly flattered to deceive. He reached the semi-finals of the 2002–03 Champions League and also finished runners-up in Serie A to Juventus. His second season was not as productive and he missed a large chunk of it through injury, and was often played out of position. Inter finished fourth in Serie A and reached the semifinals of the Coppa Italia, losing out to Juventus on penalties. Inter finished third in their Champions League group, but would go on to reach the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup. After two years with the club, he was sold to Juventus in a surprising part-exchange deal, after just over 50 appearances and two goals. After he left Italy, Cannavaro often spoke negatively of his spell at Inter, comparing the club unfavourably with his other Italian clubs, Parma and Juventus.[8][9][10]

2004–2006: Juventus and Calciopoli

After a two-year stint, he signed for Juventus on the summer transfer window deadline day. The deal also involved the exchange of reserve goalkeeper Fabian Carini, who left for Inter, both players priced €10 million.[14] By moving to Turin, he reunited with his ex-Parma teammates Lilian Thuram and Gianluigi Buffon, and together the threesome formed one of the most feared defences in the Serie A. Along with the likes of Gianluca Zambrotta, Gianluca Pessotto, Alessandro Birindelli, Jonathan Zebina and Federico Balzaretti. They went on to win two consecutive Scudetti in 2005 and 2006, although they suffered consecutive quarter final eliminations in the Champions League. In the former season, he was also paired with club icons Paolo Montero and Ciro Ferrara. Cannavaro also won four Oscar del Calcio awards, the Italian Football Oscars, for his exceptional seasons with the Turin giants, winning the 2005 defender of the year, the 2006 defender of the year award, the 2006 Italian player of the year, and the 2006 player of the year.[8][9][10]

After the 2006 World Cup, the Calciopoli trial verdicts relegated Juventus to Serie B. Since Juventus were ineligible to qualify for the Champions League, Cannavaro decided to leave. "Even if I know this may be hard to believe, I would have stayed at Juventus had they remained in Serie A – even with a 30-point deduction." He followed Juve manager Fabio Capello to Real Madrid in the summer of 2006. In his two-year Scudetto-winning stint with Juventus, Cannavaro racked up over 100 total appearances in all competitions. His transfer was met with disappointment from the Juventus fans, who had accepted him as one of their own.[8][9][10]

2006–2009: Real Madrid

Cannavaro (far left) with Real Madrid against Barcelona

Real Madrid paid €7 million to sign Cannavaro,[15] and gave him the No. 5 shirt that had previously been worn by former Madrid player and French international Zinedine Zidane. Cannavaro spent three seasons at Madrid, winning the La Liga title in 2006–07 and 2007–08, and being named the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year,[16] also winning the 2006 Ballon d'Or.[5] Cannavaro was elected as part of the 2006 and the 2007 FIFPro World XI squads, and the 2006 UEFA Team of the Year. He was named in the six man shortlist for the 2007 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.[6]

During his final seasons in Madrid, Cannavaro's decline began to be evident, especially during the 2008–09 season. Due to his advanced age, he was often seen struggling when faced with pacy opponents such as Lionel Messi and Fernando Torres, leading to Real Madrid conceding any number of goals. On 19 May 2009, it was confirmed that Cannavaro would return to Juventus for the 2009–10 season at the conclusion of his contract.[17] On his final match at the Bernabeu, he was given a standing ovation by the fans.[18] In April 2013, Cannavaro was named by Marca as a member of the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history".[19]

2009–2010: Return to Juventus

Three years after Cannavaro left Juventus, and following the end of his contract with Real Madrid, in the summer of 2009 he decided to return to the club. Cannavaro started the new season very well, forming good defensive partnerships with Nicola Legrottaglie, Martín Cáceres, Zdeněk Grygera, Fabio Grosso, and most notably Giorgio Chiellini, in front of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. However, from Autumn onwards Juventus' form took a turn for the worse. Having been injured for a while in late 2009, Cannavaro struggled with his own form both on his comeback and subsequently, and Juventus were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League, finishing third in their group.[8][9][10]

In March 2010, his relationship with the Juventus supporters, already fragile due to a perceived betrayal of the club when he left for Real Madrid, reached an all-time low. In a Europa League tie against Fulham, Juventus, who had won the first leg 3–1 at home, were leading 1–0 at Craven Cottage in London. Early in the first half Cannavaro accumulated two bookings for reckless challenges and was sent off. Reduced to 10 men, Juventus collapsed to a 4–1 loss and were eliminated on aggregate. Cannavaro enraged supporters with the sending-off and its consequent role in the team's elimination. Juventus were also eliminated in the quarter finals of the Coppa Italia, to eventual champions and treble winners Inter.[8][9][10]

The club finished the league season in seventh place, with only an Europa League spot; its worst Serie A finish for a decade. Juventus then confirmed that Cannavaro's contract wouldn't be renewed.[20] His performances had become unreliable, so much so that his hometown club Napoli made no attempt to sign him and despite Cannavaro expressing his wish to rejoin the club on more than one occasion.[8][9][10]

2010–2011: Al-Ahli

On 2 June 2010, it was announced that Cannavaro would move to UAE League side Al-Ahli on a free transfer after the 2010 World Cup. Cannavaro signed a two-year deal.[21] He made 16 appearances for the Dubai club, with two goals. Cannavaro announced his retirement from football in July 2011 due to a serious knee problem; doctors had told him he could no longer play.[22]

A year after his retirement from Al-Ahli, it was announced that he was joining the Indian league team Siliguri. In a footballers' auction whose line-up included names such as Jay-Jay Okocha, Hernán Crespo and Robbie Fowler, Cannavaro was bought by Siliguri for $830,000, exceeding his 'base price' by $50,000.[23] The league never came to fruition and Cannavaro stayed in retirement.

International career

Youth career

Cannavaro's first taste of international success came over in the mid-1990s under coach Cesare Maldini with Italy's under-21 side, winning two consecutive European Under-21 Championship titles in 1994 and 1996, and developing an important defensive partnership with Alessandro Nesta, which would also continue at senior level.[11] In 1996, he participated also at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He subsequently played for his country in the 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010 World Cups, as well as in the 2000 and 2004 European Championships.[24]

Early senior career and 1998 World Cup

He made his debut with the Italian national team on 22 January 1997, in a friendly match against Northern Ireland.[11] The same year, he earned plaudits for his handling of England striker Alan Shearer in a World Cup qualifying game at Wembley.[11] Shearer was then considered by the partisan English crowd to be the best striker in the world, and thought he would make fun of the inexperienced Italian defender. Nevertheless, in a display ranking alongside those of the very best Italian defenders Claudio Gentile and Franco Baresi, Cannavaro managed to keep Shearer quiet for the whole game; Italy won the game 1–0 courtesy of a Gianfranco Zola goal.[8][11][24]

Cannavaro's first international tournament came at 1998 World Cup alongside the experienced and capable Giuseppe Bergomi, Alessandro Costacurta, and Paolo Maldini, as well as the emerging Alessandro Nesta; the squad itself being coached by Paolo Maldini's father Cesare. Cannavaro made several strong performances throughout the tournament, although Italy eventually went out in the quarter-finals to hosts and eventual champions France, in a match where Cannavaro suffered a cut to his forehead following an elbow by Stéphane Guivarc'h. The Azzurri managed a 0–0 draw with the match eventually being decided by a penalty shoot-out in favour of the hosts.[8]

Euro 2000 Final, 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004

In Euro 2000, under manager Dino Zoff, Cannavaro had a strong tournament, playing as centre-back alongside either Alessandro Nesta, Mark Iuliano, or Paolo Maldini in 3–5–2 formation. The Italian defence only conceded two goals en route to the final: one against Turkey, and one against Sweden, both in the group stage, keeping three clean sheets in total. The Azzurri reached the final after defeating the Netherlands on penalties following a goalless draw in regulation time. Italy led the then world champions France 1–0 going into injury time; however Sylvain Wiltord equalised in the final minute of injury time, and an extra-time golden goal from David Trezeguet gave France the title. Cannavaro was elected as part of the Team of the Tournament for his performances.[8]

At the 2002 World Cup, under manager Giovanni Trapattoni, he was credited with holding the defence together almost single-handedly after Alessandro Nesta was injured against Croatia. This injury, alongside several errors by match officials, dealt a severe blow to Italy's chances of winning the World Cup; the side having relied heavily on the Cannavaro-Nesta partnership in central defence. Marco Materazzi, who deputized for Nesta, put in performances that were below his usual standards. Cannavaro picked up two yellow card during the group stage and was suspended for the Round of 16 match. Italy went out controversially in the second round, losing to co-hosts and eventual semi-finalists South Korea, once again to a golden goal.[25][26]

Cannavaro had a difficult act to follow when he took over as captain from Maldini after the 2002 World Cup, but he quickly won the team over with his leadership, calming influence, and inspirational performances, helping Italy to qualify for Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.[9] After Maldini's international retirement, he first captained Italy in a 1–0 defeat to Slovenia in Trieste on 21 August 2002.[27][28] He was later officially named Italy's captain for an away UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying match against Azerbaijan on 7 September, which Italy won 2–0.[29][30] In Italy's qualifier against Serbia and Montenegro in Naples, on 12 October, he received a standing ovation on the pitch where he wore the local side's colours, as Italy drew 1–1.[31]

Cannavaro's first international goal was scored on 30 May 2004 against Tunisia in Tunis, with Italy winning the match 4–0.[32] Euro 2004, which was hosted by Portugal, turned out to be a disappointment. Cannavaro picked up yellow cards during the two draws with Denmark (0–0) and Sweden (1–1), forcing him to sit out the final group game. Italy defeated Bulgaria 2–1, but failed to advance on goal difference.[33]

2006 World Cup champion

Fabio Cannavaro (right), alongside Italian President Napolitano, holds the 2006 World Cup trophy

Cannavaro captained Italy throughout their successful 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign with composure and aplomb under manager Marcello Lippi. One of his key performances came in a 2–0 extra-time win against hosts Germany in the semi-finals of the tournament: in the last minute of extra-time, with Italy leading 1–0 and facing a German attack, Cannavaro outjumped Per Mertesacker to clear the ball from his area; he subsequently ran forward to dispossess Lukas Podolski, and carried the ball up to Francesco Totti in midfield, who started the play that led to Italy's second goal, which was scored by Alessandro Del Piero, after an assist from Alberto Gilardino.[34] His crowning moment, however, was lifting the World Cup on 9 July 2006, the night of his 100th cap. Cannavaro did not receive a single yellow or red card during the 690 minutes he played in the tournament. His defensive performance in the final earned him the nickname of "Wall of Berlin", as the final was played in Berlin.[8][34][35]

Along with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, Cannavaro played each minute of every match in the tournament for Italy, completing 211 passes and winning 16 challenges.[36] Even with usual defensive partner Alessandro Nesta out due to injury,[34] the Italian defence kept a record five clean sheets and conceded only two goals throughout the entire tournament: an own-goal against the United States and a Zinedine Zidane penalty in the final against France.[8]

Cannavaro's marshalling of the Italian defence throughout their march to the final earned him a place in the All-Star Team at the end of the competition—awarded by FIFA's Technical Study Group—alongside six other Italian teammates: Gianluigi Buffon, Francesco Totti, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Luca Toni, and Gianluca Zambrotta.[37] He was runner-up in the race for the Golden Ball, finishing behind French counterpart Zinedine Zidane; it was a close contest with Zidane polling 2012 points to Cannavaro's 1977.[38] Cannavaro was also awarded the 2006 Ballon d'Or[5] and the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year for his performances throughout the season and at the World Cup,[16] also being named to the FIFPro World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year.[8]

Euro 2008

On 2 June 2008, Cannavaro was injured during Italy's first training session for Euro 2008. He sustained a knock following a tackle by fellow defender Giorgio Chiellini and was carried off the field on a stretcher. Italian squad doctor Paolo Zeppilli said, "We have to do tests but it does not look like a minor injury." These tests consequently showed that he had torn ligaments in his left ankle. Right after the examinations, Italian journalists waited for Cannavaro, who told them simply, "I'm going home," with a melancholic smile on his face. With that news, Roberto Donadoni then called up Fiorentina centre-back Alessandro Gamberini as his official replacement. Alessandro Del Piero captained the team in his place. Cannavaro added that he would stay with the squad to offer support. This would have been Cannavaro's third Euro tournament.[39]

Cannavaro also put his plans to retire from the national team after Euro 2008 on hold and added that the injury had made him more determined than ever to captain Italy through the 2010 World Cup.[40]

Record breaking caps at the 2009 Confederations Cup

In Italy's final 2009 Confederations Cup group match against Brazil, Cannavaro equalled Paolo Maldini's record of being Italy's most capped player, although Italy were defeated 3–0 and were disappointingly eliminated from the tournament in the group stage.[41] On 12 August 2009, in a friendly match against Switzerland, Cannavaro became Italy's most capped player of all time. He won his 127th cap for his country, beating Maldini's former record of 126.[8]

2010 World Cup and retirement

Cannavaro captained Italy at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, once again under Lippi, although his performances were not as strong as in previous editions, and he and the Italian squad received criticism from the press.[42] The defending champions crashed out of the competition in the first round, losing to Slovakia after drawing against New Zealand and Paraguay. Following Italy's failure to progress past the group stage, Cannavaro announced his retirement from international football.[8][9][42] In total, Cannavaro made 136 appearances for Italy between 1997 and 2010, scoring 2 goals;[24] he currently holds the most appearances for Italy as captain, wearing the armband on 79 occasions.[8][43]

Coaching career

Al-Ahli

After his retirement, Cannavaro was appointed as a global brand ambassador and Technical Consultant of Al-Ahli Club of Dubai on 25 August 2011.[44] In July 2013, after Cosmin Olăroiu takes as new head coach of Al-Ahli, Cannavaro was named as his first team coach.[45] He guided Al-Ahli to UAE Pro League and UAE League Cup titles in his first season in charge.

In June 2014, Cannavaro was linked to coaching staff post in his former side, Real Madrid to be replacing with Zinedine Zidane as assistant coach of Carlo Ancelotti. However, the post was given to Fernando Hierro.

Guangzhou Evergrande

On 5 November 2014, Cannavaro was named as new head coach of Chinese Super League title-holder and four time champion, Guangzhou Evergrande, replacing his former national team manager Marcelo Lippi. He was formally unveiled by the club on the same day.[46] On 4 June 2015, Guangzhou Evergrande suddenly announced that Cannavaro would no longer be the manager of the team after a Super League match against Tianjin Teda, his successor is Luiz Felipe Scolari.[47][48]

Al-Nassr

On 24 October 2015, Cannavaro was named new head coach of Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr replacing Jorge da Silva.[49] On 11 February 2016, Cannavaro rescinded his contract with Al-Nassr.[50]

Tianjin Quanjian

On 9 June 2016, Tianjin Quanjian announced Cannavaro the new manager of the club.[51] On 22 October 2016, Cannavaro guided Tianjin Quanjian to the 2016 China League One title, thus sealing their promotion to the 2017 Chinese Super League.[52]

Style of play

Cannavaro is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of his generation, and of all time, winning the World Cup as Italy's captain, as well as the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year Award in 2006. Although he predominantly excelled as a centreback, due to his ability to read the game,[53] he was also deployed as a right or left sided fullback on occasion, in particular under his Inter coach Héctor Cúper.[10] This was made possible due to Cannavaro's tactical versatility, technical ability, ball playing ability, stamina, and pace.[54]

Cannavaro was known for his concentration, strength, anticipation, positioning and aerial ability, which made him particularly adept at defending crosses, or scoring with his head from set-pieces, despite his relatively small stature for a defender.[55][56] He was a dynamic, consistent, and tenacious defender throughout his career, and also excelled as a man marker and at making tackles.[57][58] Cannavaro was also known for his leadership, and was once the record appearance holder for the Italian national side, before being overtaken by Gianluigi Buffon. He holds the record for the most appearances as captain for Italy.[56]

Media

Cannavaro was sponsored by sportswear company Nike and appeared in Nike commercials. In a global Nike advertising campaign in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, Cannavaro starred in a "Secret Tournament" commercial (branded "Scopion KO") directed by Terry Gilliam, appearing alongside football players such as Thierry Henry, Ronaldo, Francesco Totti, Ronaldinho, Luís Figo and Hidetoshi Nakata, with former player Eric Cantona the tournament "referee".[59][60]

Cannavaro was on the cover of the Italian edition of SCEE's This is Football 2003.[61] Cannavaro also features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series; he was named to the Ultimate Team Legends in FIFA 14.[62]

He worked as a pundit on ITV during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[63]

Personal life

He married Daniela Arenoso (born 17 July 1974 in Naples) on 17 June 1996,[7] they have three children, Christian (born 17 July 1999 in Naples), Martina (born 22 December 2001 in Naples), and Andrea (born 20 October 2004 in Naples).[64]

His younger brother, Paolo, is also a defender who currently plays for Sassuolo.[65] The two brothers played alongside each other at Parma from 2000 until 2002, when Fabio left for Inter.[66] Before his retirement, Fabio had often expressed interest in ending his career with Paolo in a Napoli shirt.[67]

With his fellow Neapolitan friend and former defensive team-mate Ciro Ferrara, Cannavaro has helped establish a charity foundation, Fondazione Cannavaro Ferrara, specialising in the procurement of cancer research equipment and surgery for special cases of cancer for a hospital in their native Naples; the foundation also aims to help at risk youth in Naples.[43]

Controversy

The night before the 1999 UEFA Cup Final, a video tape was released which showed Cannavaro being injected with a substance. The substance was found to be neoton (phosphocreatine), which is used in cardiac surgery to protect the heart during periods of anoxia and stress. It is not on the banned substance list. This chemical is, in partnership with adenosine triphosphate (ATP), fundamental to the ability of the body to produce muscular energy. Phosphocreatine is formed naturally within the body, with over 95% of the compound stored within the muscle cells. The body also receives dietary creatine primarily through the consumption of meat.[68] No action was ever taken regarding this incident.[69]

On 8 October 2009, Cannavaro failed a drug test. Juventus, however, claimed that the drugs were medicine for a severe allergic reaction to a wasp sting, and not performance-enhancing. Because of the urgent nature of the treatment, Cannavaro could not ask for permission to CONI in time, which was done immediately afterwards. Apparently while awaiting the conclusion of formalities involved for CONI with granting this permission, he was subjected to the drug test that eventually gave the positive result. CONI later dropped charges against him.[70]

In February 2015, Fabio Cannavaro, his wife Daniela, and his brother Paolo were respectively handed 10-month, 4-month, and 6-month prison sentences for breaching orders and entering Fabio's residence after it had been seized by authorities in 2009, amid an investigation into fraudulent activity and tax evasion; all three have appealed and will have their sentences suspended until the final judgement has been made.[71][72]

Career statistics

Player

Club

[73][74]

Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club Division AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total
1992–93 Napoli Serie A 20100030
1993–94 27020–290
1994–95 2914030361
1995–96 Parma 2910060351
1996–97 2701020300
1997–98 3106070440
1998–99 3017080451
1999–2000 3123091433
2000–01 34107060470
2001–02 3115090451
2002–03 Internazionale 28000121401
2003–04 2223090342
2004–05 Juventus 3820091473
2005–06 3642090474
Spain League Copa del Rey Europe Total
2006–07 Real Madrid La Liga 3201060390
2007–08 3301060400
2008–09 2901070370
Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total
2009–10 Juventus Serie A 2701050330
United Arab Emirates League President's Cup Asia Total
2010–11 Al-Ahli Dubai UAE Pro League 1620000162
Total 53217450113369019

1Includes one Champions League playoff match (2000).

International

Italy national team[75]
YearAppsGoals
1997120
1998110
199980
2000140
200190
2002120
2003100
200461
200580
2006150
200780
200881
2009100
201050
Total1362
International goals
Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 30 May 2004 Radès, Tunisia  Tunisia 2–0 4–0 Friendly
2 6 February 2008 Zürich, Switzerland  Portugal 2–0 3–1 Friendly

Manager

As of 22 October 2016.
Team Nat From To Record
GWDLWin %
Guangzhou Evergrande China 5 November 2014 4 June 2015 23 11 7 5 47.83
Al Nassr Saudi Arabia 26 October 2015 11 February 2016 16 6 7 3 37.50
Tianjin Quanjian China 9 June 2016
Total

Honours

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 – List of Players" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  2. ↑ "Player Profile: Fabio Cannavaro". UEFA. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "Cannavaro quits Italy duty". Sky Sports. 25 June 2010. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
  4. ↑ "Cannavaro discusses highs and lows". Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
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  6. 1 2 "Seis candidatos españoles a los premios Laureus 2007". El Mundo. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
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  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Il Pallone Racconta: Fabio CANNAVARO". ilpalloneracconta.blogspot.ca (in Italian). 14 September 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
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  13. ↑ "Inter complete Cannavaro swoop". Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  14. ↑ "Operations concerning players' registration rights" (PDF). Juventus Football Club. 31 August 2004.
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  41. ↑ "Il Brasile vince 3-0: Italia travolta ed eliminata" (in Italian). Tuttosport. 21 June 2009. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
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  47. ↑ "广州恒大淘宝足球俱乐部－关于卡纳瓦罗先生不再担任广州恒大淘宝足球队执行主教练的公告". Retrieved 16 June 2015.
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  59. ↑ "A lighter shoe, cooler kits, a faster ball, a Secret Tournament – every touch counts". NikeBiz. Nike. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fabio Cannavaro.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by
Paolo Maldini		 Italy captain
2002–2010 		Succeeded by
Gianluigi Buffon
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