Paolo Cannavaro

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

After beginning his career with Napoli, he moved to Parma in 1999, where he played alongside his older brother Fabio. Paolo remained with the club for seven seasons, aside from a loan spell with Verona during the 2001–02 season, helping the club reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 2005. In 2006, he returned to Napoli, where he was eventually named the club's captain and contributed to the club's resurgence: he helped the team to earn promotion to Serie A in his first season and subsequently aided his side to qualify for the UEFA Cup in 2008, earn a spot in the Champions League in 2011 and win the Coppa Italia in 2012, the club's first title in over 20 years. After eight seasons with Napoli, he moved to Sassuolo in 2014, where he remained until his retirement in 2017.

In Their Own Story

On 20 May 2012, in Rome, Paolo Cannavaro lifted the Coppa Italia trophy after Napoli defeated Juventus 2–0. It was the club's first major trophy in more than 20 years. Cannavaro had been the team's captain since the season after helping Napoli earn promotion back to Serie A. His leadership had guided the club through a resurgence that saw them qualify for the UEFA Cup in 2008 and the Champions League in 2011. The final in Rome was the crowning moment of his captaincy, a reward for the years of rebuilding that began when he returned to his hometown club in 2006, then in Serie B. Cannavaro's role in that journey — from promotion to European qualification to silverware — made him a central figure in Napoli's modern revival.

Reader's Guide

Cannavaro was known in particular for his ability in the air. He was known for his ability to create chances or start attacking plays from the back after winning back possession.

Did You Know?

• He is the younger brother of former football defender Fabio Cannavaro.
• His son Manuel (born in 2002) is also a footballer, in the role of central midfielder.
• In December 2012, Cannavaro was handed a six-month ban for failing to report an attempt of match fixing by then-Napoli goalkeeper Matteo Gianello. On 17 January 2013, the ban was revoked by the FIGC after appeal and Napo
• In February 2015, Cannavaro, his brother Fabio and his sister-in-law Daniela were respectively handed six-month, ten-month and four-month prison sentences for breaching orders and entering Fabio's residence after it had