Fabio Mamerto Cannavaro, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI (born September 13, 1973 in Naples) is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for La Liga club Real Madrid C.F. and the Italian national team.

Cannavaro was the first defender to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year, and the first defender since Matthias Sammer in 1996 to win the European Footballer of the Year award; both of these were achieved in 2006. He was also selected in the FIFPro World XI squad twice, during 2005–06 and 2006–07.

Club career

Napoli

Cannavaro was born in Naples to Gelsomina 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. As a youngster Cannavaro played for a team from Bagnoli before being quickly spotted by the scouts of his childhood team Napoli.

At the time when Cannavaro was in the youth system, Napoli were enjoying the most successful period to date of their history, with players such as Diego Maradona and Ciro Ferrara. Fabio had a duty as ball boy at the Stadio San Paolo and his progress was such that he became a member of the first team alongside some of his childhood idols. Cannavaro’s debut in Serie A came on 7 March 1993, at the Stadio Delle Alpi in Turin for a game against Juventus.

The post-Maradona Napoli were in desperate need of funds and were soon forced to sell Cannavaro to Parma F.C..

Parma

At Parma, Cannavaro initially began to win plaudits from a wider audience and establish himself as an extremely talented defender. Together with his defensive partner Lilian Thuram and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, Gialloblù became renowned as the team with one of the best defences in Serie A. Under the guidance of coach Carlo Ancelotti, they helped the club to its best ever league finish in 1997, finishing second, a point behind the champions Juventus. In 1998-99, Parma won the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia amongst other trophies. Fabio’s individual prowess was recognised in the form of the Albo d’Oro (or Oscar del Calcio: Migliore difensore): literally the oscar for best defender in Italy award. Cannavaro was named runner-up 3 years in a row (2000, 2001, 2002) as the Migliore difensore. Note that Fabio would later win this award in 2005.

Internazionale

In the summer of 2002, Cannavaro joined Inter Milan for a fee of €23 million. During his spell with the club he reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League 2002-03 and also finished runners up in Serie A. His second season was not as productive and he missed a large chunk of it through injury.

Juventus

After a two year stint at the Nerazzurri, he signed for Juventus on summer transfer window deadline day. The deal also involved the exchange of Fabian Carini who left for Milan and an additional €10m. By coming to Turin, he re-joined his ex-Parma teammates Lilian Thuram and Gigi Buffon and reform one of the most successful defensive line-ups in Serie A, thus enabling Cannavaro to win his first scudetto with Juventus in 2005 and a second the following season in 2006. Juventus captain Cannavaro won l’Oscar del Calcio: Migliore difensore, the Football Oscar, for his exceptional debut season at the Turin giants.

After the 2006 World Cup, the Calciopoli trial verdicts relegated Juventus FC to Serie B and stripped the club of its 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 Scudetti. Cannavaro, mindful of his age and the imminent prospect of two years of the club not being able to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, decided to leave Juventus. Cannavaro said that "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."

Real Madrid

He accompanied one of his team mates, Emerson and in doing so re-joined his former Juve coach Fabio Capello at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, the home of Real Madrid. Although no fee was confirmed by either club, press speculation has often set the combined transfer’s worth at roughly 20 million euros.

On July 25, Fabio Cannavaro officially became a Real Madrid player, with a three year contract and the number 5 jersey. He scored his first goal for the club on August 18, 2006 in a friendly match against Real Betis. On June 17, 2007, Fabio Cannavaro & Real Madrid clinched the La Liga title, Real’s first in four years.

International career

Fabio Cannavaro’s first taste of international success came over a decade ago under coach Cesare Maldini with Italy’s U-21 side, winning consecutive European Under-21 Football Championship titles in 1994 and 1996. In 1996, he participated in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

In the national team, Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta have combined very effectively to form the basis of the Italian central defence for 10 years. He has played for his country in the 1998, 2002, and 2006 World Cups, as well as Euro 2000 and Euro 2004. Cannavaro made his international debut in January 1997 against Northern Ireland and has since earned 116 caps. Only Paolo Maldini (126 caps) has appeared in more games for Italy.

Cannavaro’s first international tournament came at 1998 FIFA World Cup under his mentor Paolo Maldini, and the squad was coached by Maldini’s father Cesare. Italy went out in the quarter-finals to hosts and eventual champions France; Cannavaro suffered a cut on his forehead from an elbow by Stephane Guivarc’h during the match. The match was decided by a penalty shoot-out after the teams were tied 0-0.

In Euro 2000, it was Les Bleus who once again shattered Italy’s dreams. Cannavaro had a strong tournament and the Azzurri reached the final, where they led the then world champions 1-0 going into injury time. Near the end of regular time, Sylvain Wiltord found the equalizer, and an extra-time golden goal from David Trézéguet gave France the title.

At the 2002 FIFA World Cup he was credited with holding the defence together, almost single-handedly after Alessandro Nesta was injured against Croatia. Italy however went out in the second round, losing to co-hosts and eventual semi-finalists South Korea, again to a golden goal.

Cannavaro had a hard 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 constant smile, laid-back Neapolitan approach and inspiring performances. After Maldini’s international retirement he first captained Italy in a match at Napoli and received a standing ovation on the pitch where he sported the local side’s colours between 1991 and 1995.

Cannavaro’s first international goal was scored on May 30, 2004 against Tunisia, Italy won 4-0. 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.

2006 World Cup

Cannavaro captained Italy throughout their 2006 World Cup campaign. One of his key performances came against Germany in the World Cup Semi-Finals 2006. His crowning moment was lifting the World Cup on July 9, 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.

Along with Buffon, Cannavaro played every minute of every match in the tournament for Italy. The Italian defence conceded only two goals throughout the entire tournament, an own-goal against the United States and a penalty in the final against France.

Cannavaro earned a spot on the All-Star Team at the end of the competition - awarded by FIFA’s Technical Study Group - alongside six other Italian teammates, Gianluigi Buffon, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Luca Toni, Francesco Totti and Gianluca Zambrotta. He was runner-up in the race for the Golden Ball, finishing behind French captain Zinedine Zidane; it was a close contest with Zidane polling 2012 points to Cannavaro’s 1977.

Personal

Cannavaro has three children: Christian (July 17th 1999), Martina (December 22nd 2001), and Andrea (October 20th 2004) with his wife Daniela. Fabio is the middle child of three, having an older sister Renata and of course his fellow athletic brother Paolo Cannavaro.

His younger brother, Paolo Cannavaro, is also a defender, and plays for Napoli. The two brothers were first spotted by an English scout whilst Fabio was only twelve , Michael Hutchinson, who was working for Newcastle United at the time decided to personally train them as central defenders, using his experience, from being a professional central defender for 16 years. The two brothers played alongside each other at Parma from 2000 until 2002, when Fabio left for Inter. His mother, Gelsomina, worked as a maid and his father, Pasquale, was a bank clerk.

With his fellow Napoletano 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.

Fabio has also stated in a 2007 issue of League Magazine, when asked about women he has said that he has a fondness towards Asian women, that especially of Indian women and women from China. Saying "the most beautiful of women lie in Asia, that in India and China, they are truly walking goddesses". Though still being married to Daniela, he leads a happy life with her and his 3 children.

[edit] Controversy

The night before the 1999 UEFA Cup final a video tape was made with Cannavaro being injected with a substance. Neoten, the medicine in the iv, is not on the banned list and therefore Cannavaro did nothing wrong. The video created controversy, nonetheless.

[edit] FIFA World Player of the Year

On 18th December 2006 Fabio Cannavaro won the FIFA World Player of the Year award. He was quoted as saying, ‘It is not normal for a defender to be sitting between Zinedine Zidane (Three times winner) and Ronaldinho (Twice winner)’. Fabio Cannavaro is the first (and so far only) defender in football history to be named the FIFA World Player of the Year (Paolo Maldini was runner-up in 1995) and he is also the oldest recipient of the coveted award.

Honours

Clubs

FC Parma

• Coppa Italia : 1999, 2002

• Runner-up: 2001

• Supercoppa Italiana: 1999

• Runner-up: 1995, 2002

• UEFA Cup: 1999
• Serie A (runner-up): 1997

Juventus

• Serie A (Revoced due to calciopoli): 2005, 2006
• Supercoppa Italiana (runner-up): 2005

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2006-07, 2007-08
• Supercopa de España (runner-up): 2007

International

• FIFA World Cup: 2006

• UEFA European Championship (runner-up): 2000

• UEFA Under-21 European Championship: 1994, 1996

Personal

• FIFA World Player of the Year 2006

• European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d’Or) 2006

• World Soccer Player of the Year 2006

• 2006 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball Award

• 2006 FIFA World Cup Team of the Tournament

• EURO 2000 Team of the Tournament

• Oscar del calcio (4)

- Serie A Footballer of the year: 2006

- Italian Footballer of the Year: 2006

- Serie A Defender of the Year: 2005, 2006

• Runner-up: 2000, 2001, 2002

• UEFA Team of the Year: 2006

• FIFPro World XI: 2006, 2007

Giorgio Chiellini (born August 14, 1984 in Pisa) is an Italian footballer who currently plays for Juventus of the Italian Serie A. He is a centre back who has also played left back.

Club career

Chiellini started his career with Livorno where he played for two years each in Serie C1 and Serie B.

He was signed by Juventus in summer 2004, for €6.5 million, but immediately sold on co-ownership deal to Fiorentina for €3.5 million, where he played for 2004–05 season.

After an excellent first season in Serie A, Chiellini was recalled by Juventus for the 2005–06 season, where Juventus paid €4.3 million for full-ownership. He has been a regular fixture in the Bianconeri backline in their return to Serie A and was named "Man of the Match" in a game against Inter Milan when he won a physical and heated duel with ex-Juve teammate Zlatan Ibrahimović, allowing the in-form hitman no goals. Chiellini extended his original contract from until 2009 to 2011 on October 12, 2006.

International career

Chiellini made his debut for the Italian national team in November 2004 against Finland, and has since become a regular squad member. He won the European Under-19 Championship with Italy in 2003, and was also a member of the Italy team that won the bronze medals at the football tournament of the 2004 Summer Olympics. He was named in the ‘UEFA Team of the tournament’ of the 2007 U-21 Championships held in the Netherlands where they qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Teams and clubs

• 2000-2002: Livorno
• 2002-2004: Livorno co-ownership with Roma
• 2004-2005: Fiorentina co-ownership with Juventus
• 2005-present: Juventus

Fabio Grosso, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI, (born November 28, 1977) is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer, who plays for Ligue 1 team Olympique Lyonnais and the Italian national football team.

Club career

Grosso was born in Rome. After a number of seasons with Renato Curi (Pescara), an amateur team of the Abruzzo Eccellenza division, Grosso debuted at professional level with Chieti of Serie C2. At the time he was an attacking midfielder, and scored 17 goals in 68 appearances. He then joined Perugia of Serie A in 2001, and was first capped for Italy in 2003. At Perugia he was transformed into a left back by coach Serse Cosmi. Grosso signed for Palermo in January 2004, when the Sicilian team was still playing in Serie B.

Grosso is a left back, who can play also in the role of left wing. He is also used as a free kick specialist.

Grosso joined Internazionale for a fee reported of € 5.5 million on 6 June 2006.

On July 8, 2007, Grosso officially signed a four year deal with French team Olympique Lyonnais after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms. He was given the number 11 shirt.

International career

Grosso made his debut for the Italian national football team in 2003. The former Palermo defender has impressed at left-back and convinced coach Marcello Lippi to switch the experienced Gianluca Zambrotta to the opposite side of the backline. The 2006 World Cup was the then-28-year-old’s first major tournament.

Grosso’s had three international goals - one came in a qualifying match for the 2006 World Cup, an equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Scotland at Hampden Park in Glasgow, and one in 2006 FIFA World Cup semifinal against Germany. He also scored the penalty kick that clinched Italy’s fourth World Cup triumph, in the Final against France. Grosso scored his third international goal which sealed the victory against Georgia 2-0 in the EURO 2008 qualifiers on 13 October 2007.

Grosso courted controversy in a match against Australia in the Round of 16 of the 2006 World Cup in Kaiserslautern. Grosso won a crucial penalty that allowed Italy to advance to the quarterfinals. Some believe that he dived to the floor after contact from Lucas Neill’s outstretched leg inside the penalty area, winning a penalty in the final seconds of the match which was converted by Francesco Totti, giving Italy a 1-0 win with the last kick of the game. Others believe that the penalty was indeed legitimate as Neill did mistackle the player, causing Grosso to trip over Neill’s body. Match referee Luis Medina Cantalejo has been very harshly criticised over this incident, and FIFA president Sepp Blatter has even apologised to the Australian team over the incident.

In the semis Grosso scored a goal in the 119th minute to put Italy through to the final over hosts Germany. His dramatic celebration after the goal (where he ran back to his team mates with an ecstatic fervor) was compared by many fans as being very similar to the exuberant celebrations by yesteryear Azzurri legend Marco Tardelli. This was the record breaking latest winning goal in the FIFA world cup finals history, only to be surpassed minutes later by Alessandro Del Piero. He has also become an Italian national sporting hero after scoring the fifth and final penalty shot against France in the shoot-out to win the final which gave the Italians their fourth World Cup title, making them the most successful European nation in FIFA World Cup history.

Fabio Grosso and his wife Anđela Jukič are parents of a boy, Tarik, born on September 7, 2006

Honours

Clubs

Inter Milan

• Serie A: 2006-07

• Italian Super Cup: 2006

Lyon

• French Ligue 1 Championship: 2007-08

• French Cup: 2007-08

• French Super Cup: 2007

International

• FIFA World Cup: 2006