Fabio Cannavaro

Fabio Cannavaro (born 13 September 1973) is an Italian football coach and former player, currently in charge of the Uzbekistan national team. Widely considered one of the finest defenders ever to play the game, he spent most of his playing career in Italy. He began at Napoli, then moved to Parma for seven years, winning two Coppa Italia titles, the 1999 Supercoppa Italiana, and the 1999 UEFA Cup. After spells with Inter Milan and Juventus, he followed manager Fabio Capello from Juventus to Real Madrid in 2006, winning back-to-back La Liga titles in 2007 and 2008. He returned to Juventus for the 2009–10 season and retired in 2011 after a stint with Al-Ahli.

Cannavaro won consecutive UEFA European Under-21 Championships with Italy in 1994 and 1996. He earned his first senior cap in 1997 and helped Italy reach the final of UEFA Euro 2000, where he was named in the team of the tournament. Following Paolo Maldini’s retirement in 2002, he became captain. He led Italy to victory at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, earning the nickname “Il Muro di Berlino” (“The Berlin Wall”) from Italian fans for his defensive displays. Italy kept five clean sheets and conceded only two goals, neither from open play. Cannavaro received the Silver Ball as the tournament’s second-best player. That same year, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year—the only defender ever to win that award—and also won the Ballon d’Or, making him the only defender to claim it in a decade and only the third overall after Franz Beckenbauer and Matthias Sammer.

In 2009, Cannavaro surpassed Maldini as Italy’s most-capped player. He retired from international football on 25 June 2010, after Italy failed to advance past the group stage of the 2010 World Cup, finishing with 136 caps and 2 goals for the senior team. He represented Italy at four World Cups, two 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 the nation’s most capped defender.

After retiring, Cannavaro coached various teams in Asia. He briefly managed the China national team in 2019. He took over Serie B side Benevento for the 2022–23 season, then became head coach of Serie A club Udinese in April 2024, guiding them clear of relegation. In December 2024, he was appointed manager of Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb but was dismissed four months later. In October 2025, he was named head coach of the Uzbekistan national team.

Cannavaro was born in Naples to Gelsomina Costanzo and Pasquale Cannavaro. His mother worked as a maid; his father was a bank clerk who also played football for provincial side Giugliano. He has an older sister, Renata, and a younger brother, Paolo, who also became a professional footballer.

As a child, Cannavaro played for a team in Bagnoli before Napoli scouts noticed him. His favourite childhood team was Napoli, and he initially worked as a ball boy, watching idols Diego Maradona and Ciro Ferrara. He joined the club’s youth setup as a midfielder, inspired by Marco Tardelli, but a youth coach switched him to centre-back. He gained early attention during a training session when he dispossessed Maradona with a strong sliding challenge. The tackle angered teammates and staff, but Maradona defended him, reportedly giving Cannavaro his boots as a souvenir and encouraging him to keep playing his way.

Cannavaro progressed quickly and joined the first team alongside some of his childhood heroes. His Serie A debut came on 7 March 1993 in Turin, a 4–3 loss to Juventus. Playing centre-back alongside Ferrara, he showed strong anticipation, tackling, distribution, and the ability to start attacks from the back. He scored his first career goal on 8 January 1995 at the San Siro against Milan. Despite his promise, post-Maradona Napoli needed funds and sold Cannavaro to Parma in 1995. He left Napoli with nearly 60 total appearances and one goal.

Parma bought Cannavaro in the summer of 1995. In his first season, he became a regular, scoring once in 29 league matches. He won trophies with the club and was eventually named captain. At Parma, he formed a legendary defensive unit with Gianluigi Buffon and Lilian Thuram, who also became close friends. Other key defenders in that backline included Luigi Sartor, Roberto Mussi, Antonio Benarrivo, Luigi Apolloni, and Néstor Sensini. In his first season, Parma finished sixth in Serie A, qualifying for the UEFA Cup, and reached the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia.