Fabio Cannavaro (born September 13, 1973 in Naples) is an Italian football player, as of 2005 the captain of the Italian national team.
Although he is not tall for a central defender (176 cm), Cannavaro is considered one of the best defenders of the 1990s and early 2000s. As for his career in the Italian championship, he played Napoli (1992-95), Parma (1995-2002), Inter Milan (2002-04) and Juventus (2004-current). In Juventus, he has re-joined his ex-Parma partners Lilian Thuram and Gianluigi Buffon. They formed one of the best defensive lines in Serie A and Cannavaro won his first scudetto with Juventus in 2005.
Fabio Cannavaro
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Fabio Cannavaro
Cannavaro is a strong and uncomprimising defender, which may explain his high card rate: nonetheless he is one of the best defenders in the world, and alongside Alessandro Nesta in the heart of the Italian defence lies arguably the best defence in the world. Cannavaro is especially noted for his reading of the game, an ability that often sees him make countless interceptions during games.
As for Italy, Cannavaro has earned over 90 caps. He played for his country in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, as well as Euro 2000 and Euro 2004.
His younger brother, Paolo Cannavaro, is also a central defender, and currently plays for Parma A.C.. The two brothers played alongside each other at Parma from 2000 until 2002, when Fabio left for Inter.
