116-482: Fabio Cannavaro Ufficiale OMRI ( Italian pronunciation: [ˈfaːbjo kannaˈvaːro] ; born 13 September 1973) is an Italian football coach and former professional player. He is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time. A centre-back , 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,
232-479: A penalty shoot-out against Juventus in the finals . In December 2020, Napoli renamed San Paolo after club icon Diego Maradona , following his passing. Napoli finished fifth in Serie A that season after a draw on the finals day, missing a Champions League berth by one point. In the 2021–22 season, Luciano Spalletti replaced Gennaro Gattuso as head coach and led the team to the third place in Serie A, securing
348-564: A 1–0 defeat to Slovenia in Trieste on 21 August 2002. 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. 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. Cannavaro scored his first international goal on 30 May 2004, in
464-416: 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
580-1103: A 3-0 away loss against Hellas Verona , but the Azzurri quickly bounced back with 5 wins and one draw in the following six matches. Below is the official presidential history of Napoli, from when Giorgio Ascarelli took over at the club in 1926, until the present day. Napoli has had many managers and trainers, co-managers in some seasons, since 1926. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. In
696-598: 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 made 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. Real Madrid paid €7 million to sign Cannavaro, and gave him the number 5 shirt which had previously been worn by French international Zinedine Zidane . Cannavaro spent three seasons at Madrid , winning
812-583: A 3–2 win against the English crew of the boat Arabik with goals from William MacPherson, Michele Scafoglio and Léon Chaudoir. Early into its existence, the Italian Football Championship was limited to just northern clubs, so southern clubs competed against sailors or in cups such as Thomas Lipton 's Lipton Challenge Cup . In the cup competed between Naples FBC and Palermo FBC Naples won three finals. The foreign contingent at
928-578: A 4–0 win against Tunisia , in Tunis. Euro 2004 , which was hosted by Portugal, turned out to be a disappointment. Cannavaro picked up yellow cards during his nations two opening group draws with Denmark (0–0) and Sweden (1–1), forcing him to sit out the final group match. Italy defeated Bulgaria 2–1, but failed to advance on goal difference. Cannavaro captained Italy throughout their successful 2006 World Cup campaign with composure and aplomb under manager Marcello Lippi . One of his key performances came in
1044-479: A Champions League spot for the azzurri after a two-years absence. In the 2022–23 season, Napoli clinched the Serie A titles for the first time since the 1989–90 season, and their third title overall, following a 1–1 draw against Udinese on 4 May 2023, their first time as titleholders since the days of Diego Maradona . Meanwhile, in the Champions League , Spalletti led them to the quarter-finals for
1160-408: A World Cup qualifying game at Wembley Stadium . 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
1276-533: A Zinedine Zidane penalty in the final against France. Cannavaro's leadership and 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. He
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#17327827438871392-707: A bead of sweat." —Amy Lawrence, The Guardian . Cannavaro is considered one of the greatest defenders 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 centre-back , due to his ability to read the game, he was also deployed as a right or left sided full-back on occasion, in particular under his Inter coach Héctor Cúper. This
1508-429: A decade. Juventus subsequently confirmed Cannavaro's contract would not be renewed. His performances had become unreliable, so much so that his hometown club Napoli made no attempt to sign him, despite Cannavaro expressing his wish to rejoin the club on more than one occasion. On 2 June 2010, it was announced Cannavaro would move to UAE League side Al-Ahli on a free transfer after the 2010 World Cup . Cannavaro signed
1624-643: A large chunk of it through injury. He was also often played out of position. Inter finished fourth in Serie A and reached the semi-finals 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 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
1740-406: A reported € 23 million, on a four-year contract. 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
1856-403: A training session at Napoli, the young Fabio produced a strong sliding challenge on Maradona, who was then the undisputed star of the club, to dispossess him. The rough challenge angered teammates and staff at Napoli. However, Maradona himself defended the promising player and encouraged him to play the way he wanted, and reportedly congratulated Cannavaro by giving him his boots as a souvenir after
1972-620: A two-year deal. He made 16 appearances for the Dubai club, scoring 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. One year after Cannavaro's retirement from Al-Ahli, it was announced 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
2088-404: A €12 million deal from Barcelona on 30 June 1984. The squad was gradually re-built, with the likes of Ciro Ferrara , Salvatore Bagni and Fernando De Napoli filling the ranks. The rise up the tables was gradual, by 1985–86 , they had a third-place finish under their belts, but better was yet to come. With the attacking trio of Maradona, Bruno Giordano , and Careca (nicknamed MaGiCa),
2204-678: Is a coastal city, the colours of the club have always been derived from the blue waters of the Gulf of Naples . Originally, while using the name Naples FBC , the colours of the club implemented two shades of blue. However, since the 1920s, a singular blue tone has been used in the form of azure. Thus, Napoli share the nickname " Azzurri " with the Italy national team . The shade of blue has been sky blue in many instances. Napoli typically wear azure shirts with white shorts at home and white shirts with either white or blue shorts away, though in recent years
2320-614: Is currently Italy's second all-time appearance holder , behind Gianluigi Buffon , as well as Italy's most capped defender. Since his retirement, Cannavaro has coached club teams in the Middle East and China. He was briefly appointed as manager of the China national team in 2019. He was the head coach of Serie B club Benevento in the 2022–23 season, and in April 2024, he became head coach of Serie A club Udinese , successfully leading
2436-471: Is derived from the shirts of Naples FBC and the shorts of Internazionale Napoli after the clubs merged to form Napoli's predecessor Internaples in 1922. Napoli have rivalries with Juventus , Roma , Internazionale and AC Milan . The club's anthem is "Napoli", one of the major hits of the Neapolitan singer Nino D'Angelo . Although the club was officially founded in 1926, Napoli traces its roots to
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#17327827438872552-474: The 1986–87 season was the landmark in Napoli's history, becoming just the third Italian team to win the double after securing the Serie A title by three points and then beating Atalanta BC 4–0 to lift the Coppa Italia . Because a mainland Southern Italian team had never won the league before, this turned Maradona into a cultural, social and borderline religious icon for Neapolitans, which stretched beyond
2668-542: The 1994–95 UEFA Cup , reaching the third round and in 1996–97 , Napoli appeared at the Coppa Italia finals, but lost 3–1 to Vicenza ; Napoli's primavera squad won the Coppa Italia Primavera that season. Napoli's league form had dropped lower, and relegation to Serie B came at the end of 1997–98 when they won only two matches all season. The club returned to Serie A after gaining promotion in
2784-567: The 1999 Supercoppa Italiana , and the 1999 UEFA Cup . After spells at Inter Milan 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. He returned to Juventus for one season in 2009–10 and retired from football in 2011 after a stint at Al-Ahli . Cannavaro was part of the Italy team which won consecutive UEFA European Under-21 Championships in 1994 and 1996. After earning his first senior cap in 1997, he helped his national team to
2900-586: The 1999–2000 season, though after a closely contested relegation battle, they were relegated immediately back down the following season. By August 2004, Napoli was declared bankrupt. To secure football in the city, film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis re-founded the club under the name Napoli Soccer, as they were not allowed to use their old name until the next season. FIGC placed Napoli in Serie C1 , where they missed out on promotion after losing 2–1 in play-offs to local rivals Avellino in 2004–05 . Despite
3016-557: The 2009–10 season at the conclusion of his contract. On his final match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium , he was given a standing ovation by the fans. In April 2013, Cannavaro was named by Marca as a member of the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history ". 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
3132-492: The 2017–18 season, Napoli challenged for the titles for the entire season, and finished with a club record of 91 points. However, the titles ultimately went to Juventus in the penultimate round of matches. On 23 December 2017, Marek Hamšík overtook Diego Maradona as Napoli's all-time leading scorer after scoring his 115th goal. At the end of the season, Sarri left for Chelsea , succeeded by Carlo Ancelotti in May 2018. He managed
3248-524: The Champions League , finishing third in their group. In March 2010, Cannavaro's 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 UEFA 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
3364-523: The Liga title in 2006–07 and 2007–08 , and being named the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year , also winning the 2006 Ballon d'Or . 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 . On 19 May 2009, it was confirmed Cannavaro would return to Juventus for
3480-486: The San Siro , against Milan , on 8 January 1995. 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. Cannavaro
3596-579: The Stadio Olimpico to win the Coppa Italia for the fourth time in the club's history, 25 years after their last cup win. The team finished second in its group of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League, progressing to the round of 16, where they were eliminated by eventual winners Chelsea . In 2012–13 , Napoli finished in second place in Serie A , the club's best performance since winning the 1989–90 Scudetto . Edinson Cavani finished as top scorer in
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3712-523: The Summer Olympics in Atlanta . He subsequently played for his country in the 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups , as well as in the 2000 and 2004 UEFA European Championships . Cannavaro made his debut with the Italy national team on 22 January 1997, in a friendly match against Northern Ireland . The same year, he earned plaudits for his handling of England striker Alan Shearer in
3828-620: The Supercoppa Italiana that year, with a record 5–1 victory against Juventus, but it would be their last major trophy for 22 years. In the European Cup , they were eliminated in the second round. Though the club finished fourth during the 1991–92 season, Napoli gradually went into decline after that season, both financially and on the field. Players such as Gianfranco Zola , Daniel Fonseca , Ciro Ferrara and Careca had all departed by 1994. Nonetheless, Napoli qualified for
3944-541: 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 . In his fourth season with
4060-601: The UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia that season. 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
4176-570: 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
4292-480: The 1980s, the club were performing respectably with a third-place finish in 1980–81 . Napoli's Primavera squad was also doing well at the time, winning the Torneo di Viareggio Cup in 1975 and their only Campionato Nazionale Primavera title in 1979. However, by 1983, they had slipped dramatically and were involved in relegation battles. Napoli broke the world transfer record fee after acquiring Diego Maradona in
4408-740: The 2017–18 season. In 2018, Forbes estimated the club is the fifth most valuable club in Italy, worth $ 379 million. Napoli are also one of the associate members of the European Club Association . Since 1959, the club has played their home games at the Stadio San Paolo, which was renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona after the Argentine striker's death in 2020. Napoli traditionally wear sky blue shirts, white shorts, and sky blue socks at home and white shirts, white or sky blue shorts, and white or sky blue socks away; this
4524-550: 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 UEFA 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
4640-439: The Azzurri to finish 10th in the league, 50 points behind eventual champions Inter. In Europe, the club passed the group stage of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League in a group with Real Madrid , 1. FC Union Berlin , and SC Braga , but were ultimately eliminated by FC Barcelona in the round of 16. For the 2024-25 season, the club signed Antonio Conte in a bid for a swift return to winning ways. Their season started out with
4756-619: The Champions League, but missed out on the group stage as they lost to Athletic Bilbao in the play-off round. Their subsequent run in the Europa League ended when they lost 2–1 on aggregate to Dnipro in the semi-finals. They finished the 2014–15 season in fifth, with Benítez then leaving for Real Madrid and being replaced by Maurizio Sarri . In Sarri's first season in charge in the 2015–16 season , Napoli finished in second place with 82 points, and were knocked out of
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4872-665: The Chinese Super League. Cannavaro left Guangzhou again in September 2021. On 15 March 2019, Cannavaro was appointed manager of the China national team , in conjunction with coaching Guangzhou Evergrande. Six days later he lost his first match in charge, a 1–0 home defeat in the China Cup to Thailand . On 28 April, he stood down to focus on his role at Guangzhou Evergrande. On 21 September 2022, Cannavaro took on his first managerial job in his native Italy, becoming
4988-423: The Europa League in the round of 32 against Villarreal . In the following season, Napoli finished in 3rd place on 86 points and were knocked out of the Champions League in the round of 16 against Real Madrid. This year saw the breakout season for Dries Mertens who scored 34 goals in all competitions after he was moved from the left-wing to centre-forward following Milik's torn Anterior cruciate ligament . In
5104-555: The Napoli fans at the end and his country went on to reach the finals. However, after the finals, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) forced Maradona to take a doping test, which he failed testing positive for cocaine ; both Maradona and Napoli staff later claimed it was a revenge plot for events at the World Cup. Maradona was banned for 15 months and would never play for the club again. The club still won
5220-403: The Serie A season in fourth place, tied with Inter Milan for the final remaining Champions League spot. However, Parma 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 eliminated by Rangers . They were knocked out in the round of 16 of both
5336-446: The Serie B titles that season to ensure top flight football at the start of the 1950s. Napoli moved to their new home ground Stadio San Paolo in 1959. Despite erratic league form with highs and lows during this period, including multiple relegations and promotions, Napoli won their first major trophy when they beat SPAL to lift the Coppa Italia in 1962, with goals from Gianni Corelli and Pierluigi Ronzon . The victory made Napoli
5452-621: The Terme di Agnano to a new stadium, the Stadio Militare dell'Arenaccia. After a poor start, with a sole point in an entire championship, Napoli was re-admitted to Serie A's forerunner, the Divisione Nazionale, by the Italian Football Federation ("FIGC"), and began to improve thanks in part to Paraguayan-born Attila Sallustro , who was the first fully fledged hero to the fans. He was a capable goal-scorer and eventually set
5568-614: The Turin giants, winning the 2005 Serie A Defender of the Year , the 2006 Defender of the Year, the 2006 Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year and the 2006 Serie A Footballer of the Year . 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
5684-466: The World Cup, the side having relied heavily on the Cannavaro–Nesta partnership in central defence. Marco Materazzi , who deputised 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, meaning Italy would be left without their two starting centre-backs. Italy went out controversially in
5800-423: The Year. 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
5916-516: The all-time goal-scoring record for Napoli, which was later surpassed by players like Diego Maradona and Marek Hamšík . Napoli entered the Serie A era under the management of William Garbutt . During Garbutt's six-year stint, the club would be dramatically transformed, frequently finishing in the top half of the table. This included two third-place finishes during the 1932–33 and 1933–34 seasons, with added notables such as Antonio Vojak , Arnaldo Sentimenti and Carlo Buscaglia . However, in
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#17327827438876032-629: The club accepted Cannavaro's resignation from the club. He won the Chinese Football Association Coach of the Year award in November 2017. On 9 November 2017, Guangzhou Evergrande appointed Cannavaro as manager for the second time. He was relieved of his position on 27 October 2019, and went to corporate culture training, with captain Zheng Zhi the acting manager. He returned six days later. On 1 December 2019, he won
6148-470: The club announced Cannavaro's departure from the club. "Cannavaro has been the most accomplished defender at this World Cup [in 2006]. He has been the only permanent member of Italy's ever-changing backline. He has been imperious. Rigorous. Absolutely in charge. Standing tall at 5ft 9in, he is dwarfed by just about every other centre-half in Germany, yet he has risen serenely above them all, seemingly without
6264-512: The club broke off in 1911 to form Internazionale Napoli , who wore blue shirts with white shorts, in time for both club's debut in the Italian Championship of 1912–13 . Each of the teams won a Prima Categoria southern Italian titles and therefore competed in the national semi-finals, Naples doing so in 1912–13 and Internazionale Napoli in 1913–14 . They were set to face each other for the southern titles again in 1914–15 but it
6380-502: The club clear of the relegation zone. Fabio 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 and a younger brother named Paolo , also a professional footballer. As a youngster, Cannavaro played for a team from Bagnoli before being quickly spotted by
6496-460: The club has stabilized, which has led to renewed on-field success, winning 2005–06 Serie C1 , the 2012 , 2014 , and 2020 Coppa Italia titles, and the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana , eventually culminating in their third league title in 2023 , the first since Maradona's departure. By attendance, Napoli have the fourth-largest fan base in Italy, and were ranked as the fifth highest-earning football club in Serie A, with $ 182 million in revenue during
6612-494: The club on a free transfer. 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
6728-426: The club to another second-place finish, but was sacked on 10 December 2019, following a poor run of results in the 2019–20 season which left them seventh in the table. Gennaro Gattuso was named head coach the next day. On 14 June 2020, Dries Mertens became Napoli's all-time top scorer after scoring his 122nd goal in a Coppa Italia semi-finals match against Inter . Napoli went on to win the 2019–20 Coppa Italia in
6844-424: The club unfavourably with his other Italian clubs, Parma and Juventus. After a two-year stint with Inter, Cannavaro 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. By moving to Turin, he reunited with his ex-Parma teammates Lilian Thuram and Gianluigi Buffon, and together
6960-475: 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, with one point from Fiorentina in third place. In the following season , Fabio's brother Paolo Cannavaro 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
7076-408: The division with 29 goals, which resulted in him being sold to Paris Saint-Germain for a club-record fee of €64 million. In the 2013 close-season, Mazzarri left Napoli and Rafael Benítez became the club's manager . They finished the 2013–14 season by winning the 2014 Coppa Italia finals , their fifth title in the tournament, with a 3–1 win against Fiorentina , as well as qualifying for
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#17327827438877192-429: The elite in Serie A, with consistent top-five finishes. Napoli came very close to winning the league in 1967–68 , finishing just behind Milan in second place. Some of the most popular players from this period were Dino Zoff , José Altafini , Omar Sívori and hometown midfielder Antonio Juliano . Juliano would eventually break the appearance records, which still stands today. The trend of Napoli performing well in
7308-502: 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, Italy manager 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. Cannavaro also put his plans to retire from
7424-411: The faces of a new-look Inter led by manager Héctor Cúper . However, during Cannavaro's spell with the club, Inter mostly flattered to deceive. His stint with the club began promisingly, as Inter reached the semi-finals of the 2002–03 Champions League and also finished runners-up in Serie A to Juventus in his first season with the club. However, his second season was not as productive, and he missed
7540-424: The fact Napoli were playing in a low division, they retained higher average attendances than most of the Serie A clubs, breaking the Serie C attendance record with 51,000 at one match. The following season , they secured promotion to Serie B and De Laurentiis brought back the club's history, restoring its name to Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli in May 2006. After just one season in Serie B, they were promoted to
7656-504: The final of UEFA Euro 2000 , being named in the team of the tournament, and 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
7772-477: The finals . That season, they also defeated Southampton 4–1 on aggregate to lift the 1976 Anglo-Italian League Cup . Napoli were entered into the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup for 1976–77 , where they reached the semi-finals, losing 2–1 on aggregate to Anderlecht . In the Italian league, Napoli were still very much a consistent top six side for much of the late 1970s. Even into the earliest two seasons of
7888-554: The finals leg of the Supercoppa di Lega Serie C1 ; primacy belongs to him also for last appearance in the championship, 12 May 2006 at the home match against Lanciano . As regards exclusively the championship, however, the honour goes to the Argentine footballer Roberto Sosa , the distinction of being the last to wear the 10 at the San Paolo and at the same time to score in the match against Frosinone on 30 April 2006. As Naples
8004-402: The first relevant Neapolitan club, founded as "Naples Foot-Ball & Croquet Club" in 1905 by English sailor William Poths and his associate Hector M. Bayon. Neapolitans such as Conforti, Catterina and Amedeo Salsi were also involved; Salsi was named the club's first president. The original kit of the club was a sky blue and navy blue striped shirt, with black shorts. Naples' first match was
8120-524: The first team to win the Coppa while in Serie B, and they were promoted to Serie A that season. Their fourth relegation cut celebrations short the following season. As the club changed their name to Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli on 25 June 1964 they began to rise up again, gaining promotion in 1964–65 . Under the management of former player Bruno Pesaola , they won the Coppa delle Alpi and were back among
8236-537: The first time a rank higher than Knight. The minimum age requirement is normally 35. The Knight Grand Cross with Collar is awarded only to heads of state . SSC Napoli Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli ( pronounced [ˈnaːpoli] ) is an Italian professional football club based in the city of Naples that plays in Serie A , the top flight of Italian football . In its history, Napoli has won three Serie A titles, six Coppa Italia titles, two Supercoppa Italiana titles, and one UEFA Cup . The club
8352-423: The first time in their European history, where they were beaten 2–1 (1–0 away and 1–1 at home) by fellow Serie A side Milan. The 2023-24 season proved to be extremely difficult for the club, as they went through three different coaches - Rudi Garcia , a returning Walter Mazzarri , and Francesco Calzona ; this managerial instability, as well as the new hires largely not performing to the club's expectations, led
8468-433: The game 1–0 courtesy of a Gianfranco Zola goal. 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, with Paolo Maldini's father, Cesare Maldini , as head coach. Cannavaro made several strong performances throughout the tournament, although Italy eventually went out in
8584-497: The group stage. 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. Cannavaro captained Italy at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, once again under Marcello Lippi, although his performances were not as strong as in previous editions, and he and the Italian squad received criticism from
8700-400: The horse is a symbol of Naples. Internaples were immediately enrolled in the top-flight Prima Divisione Lega Sud championship, as both Internazionale Napoli and Naples competed in that division pre-merger. Since the end of World War I both clubs had lost dominance of the region to the likes of Puteolana and Savoia . Even with the combined strength of Internaples, Savoia still proved to be
8816-744: The league continued into the 1970s, with third place spots in 1970–71 and 1973–74 . Under the coaching of former player Luís Vinício , this gained them entry into the early UEFA Cup competitions. In 1974–75 , they reached the third round knocking out Porto 2–0 en route . During the same season , Napoli finished second in Serie A, just two points behind champions Juventus . Solid performances from locally born players such as Giuseppe Bruscolotti , Antonio Juliano and Salvatore Esposito were relied upon during this period, coupled with goals from Giuseppe Savoldi . The club won their second Coppa Italia trophy in 1975–76 , eliminating Milan and Fiorentina en route , before beating rivals Hellas Verona 4–0 in
8932-602: The liberty of the citizens) encircling the head of Italia turrita on the reverse. The six degrees with corresponding ribbons are as follows (with numbers to 2 June 2020): The order is bestowed by decree of the President of the Italian Republic , as head of the orders of knighthood, on the recommendation of the President of the Council of Ministers . Except in exceptional circumstances, no one can be awarded for
9048-413: 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 knockout stages of the 2010 World Cup , having amassed 136 caps and 2 goals for the senior national team. In total, he represented Italy at four World Cups , two UEFA European Championships , the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup . He
9164-401: 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 . 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
9280-509: The new head coach of Serie B club Benevento . On 4 February 2023, after failing to improve the club's fortunes and with the club deep into the relegation zone, he was sacked by Benevento. On 22 April 2024, Cannavaro became the new manager of Serie A club Udinese in substitution of Gabriele Cioffi . A few days after escaping relegation on the final matchday of the season following a dramatic 1–0 away win against Frosinone , who were overtaken by Udinese and got relegated following that result,
9396-432: The new manager of the club. They were ranked eighth place in the league at the time, and on 22 October he guided Quanjian to the 2016 China League One title, thus sealing their promotion to the 2017 Chinese Super League . Under Cannavaro, Quanjian finished third in their top-tier debut with 15 wins, 9 draws and 6 losses and advanced to 2018 AFC Champions League Qualifying play-offs . On 6 November 2017, Quanjian announced
9512-484: The north and one combined division of Serie A and Serie B teams from the central and south, with the top four of each division advancing to the national round that followed. Napoli won the Centro-Sud Serie A-B to secure a place in the Divisione Nazionale (where they placed fifth) and automatic promotion to the next season's Serie A. They were relegated after two seasons for a bribery scandal. The club won
9628-439: The number 10 shirt in 2004–2005 in Serie C . In Serie C the starting players had to wear shirts with the number 1-11. However, for regulatory reasons, the number was reissued on blue shirts 2004 to 2006 Serie C1 , a tournament utilizing the old numbering from 1 to 11. The last player to wear and score goals with this shirt in an official match was Mariano Bogliacino in the home match of 18 May 2006 against Spezia , valid for
9744-767: The order are OMRI . The order effectively replaced national orders such as the Civil Order of Savoy (1831), the Order of the Crown of Italy (1868), the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1572) and the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (1362). Investiture takes place twice a year – on 2 June, the anniversary of the foundation of the Republic , and on 27 December, the anniversary of
9860-425: The press. The defending champions crashed out of the competition in the first round, losing 3–2 to Slovakia in their final group match, after drawing 1–1 against both New Zealand and Paraguay . Following Italy's failure to progress past the group stage, Cannavaro announced his retirement from international football. In total, Cannavaro made 136 appearances for Italy between 1997 and 2010, scoring 2 goals, making him
9976-570: The promulgation of the Italian Constitution . However, those awards on Presidential motu proprio , related to termination of service or granted to foreigners, may be made at any time. The badge, modified in 2001, bears the inscription Al Merito della Repubblica encircling the national coat of arms on the obverse and the Latin Patriæ Unitati (for the union of the country) and Civium Libertati (for
10092-516: 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, eventually being decided by a penalty shoot-out in favour of the hosts. At 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
10208-599: The realms of just football. The club were unsuccessful in the European Cup in the following season and finished runners-up in Serie A . However, Napoli were entered into the UEFA Cup for 1988–89 and won their first major European titles. Juventus, Bayern Munich and PAOK were defeated en route to the final, where Napoli beat VfB Stuttgart 5–4 on aggregate, with two goals from Careca and one each from Maradona, Ferrara and Alemão . Napoli added their second Serie A titles in 1989–90 , defeating Milan by two points in
10324-411: The round of 16 of the UEFA Cup , and finished the Serie A season in tenth place. In 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. In the summer of 2002, Cannavaro joined Inter Milan for
10440-402: The scouts of Napoli , his hometown and favourite childhood team. 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, initially playing as a midfielder like his idol Marco Tardelli , before the team's youth coach switched him to the role of centre-back. He gained a reputation when, in
10556-435: The second round, losing to co-hosts and eventual semi-finalists South Korea , once again to a golden goal. Cannavaro had a difficult act to follow when he took over as captain from Paolo Maldini after the 2002 World Cup, but he quickly won the team over with his leadership, calming influence and inspirational performances, helping Italy qualify for Euro 2004. After Maldini's international retirement, he first captained Italy in
10672-495: The second-most capped Italian player of all time, behind only Gianluigi Buffon. Cannavaro has also made the second-most appearances for Italy as captain , behind only Buffon, wearing the armband on 79 occasions. After his retirement, Cannavaro was appointed a global brand ambassador and technical consultant of Al-Ahli Club of Dubai on 25 August 2011. In July 2013, after Cosmin Olăroiu took charge as new head coach of Al-Ahli, Cannavaro
10788-463: The semi-finals against Italy in Naples. I don't like the fact that now everybody is asking Neapolitans to be Italian and to support their national team. Naples has always been marginalised by the rest of Italy. It is a city that suffers the most unfair racism. The Stadio San Paolo was the only stadium during the competition where the Argentine national anthem was not jeered, Maradona bowed to
10904-445: The summer of 2000, Napoli retired the jersey number 10 belonged to former club legend Diego Maradona , who played for the club from 1984 to 1991. In order, the last players to wear number 10 were Fausto Pizzi (1995–1996), Beto (in 1996–1997), Igor Protti in 1997–1998 was the last player to play and score a goal with the number 10 shirt in Serie A and Claudio Bellucci in 1998–1999 and 1999–2000 in Serie B . Karl Corneliusson wore
11020-482: The team win several trophies, which led to the club retiring his number 10 jersey. During this period, Napoli won two league titles (in 1987 and 1990 ), the 1987 Coppa Italia , the 1990 Supercoppa Italiana , and their only European trophy with the 1989 UEFA Cup . Following his departure, however, Napoli struggled financially, and endured several relegations and a bankruptcy, prior to being re-founded in 2004 by film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis . Under his leadership,
11136-536: The title. Cannavaro was elected as part of the Team of the Tournament for his performances. At the 2002 World Cup , under manager Giovanni Trapattoni , Cannavaro was credited with holding the defence together almost single-handedly after his usual defensive partner Alessandro Nesta was injured against Croatia . This injury, alongside several errors by match officials, dealt a severe blow to Italy's chances of winning
11252-474: The titles race. However, this was surrounded by less auspicious circumstances as Napoli were awarded two points for a game, when in Bergamo , an Atalanta fan threw a 100 lira coin at Alemão's head. A controversial set of events set off at the 1990 World Cup , when Maradona made comments pertaining to North–South inequality in the country and the risorgimento , asking Neapolitans to root for Argentina in
11368-432: The top division, along with fellow "sleeping giants" Genoa . In 2010, under manager Walter Mazzarri , Napoli finished in sixth place to qualify for a 2010–11 UEFA Europa League spot. Napoli finished third in the 2010–11 season , qualifying directly for the group stage of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League . In the 2011–12 season , Napoli ended in fifth place in Serie A , but defeated unbeaten champions Juventus at
11484-573: The top team in southern Italy. Internaples reached the interregional semi-finals of Lega Sud in each of its first two seasons, and reached the Lega Sud finals in 1925–26 . This secured the club a spot in the new Divisione Nazionale for the following season. Under the presidency of Giorgio Ascarelli, and likely under pressure from the new fascist government to "Italianize" the club name, Internaples changed its name to Associazione Calcio Napoli on 25 August 1926. The newly renamed team also moved from
11600-498: The training session. Cannavaro's 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 . As a centre-back alongside Ferrara, he soon demonstrated his anticipation, tackling, distribution and his ability to start attacking plays after winning possession. He scored his first career goal at
11716-537: The trio formed one of the most feared defences in the Serie A, alongside the likes of Gianluca Zambrotta , Gianluca Pessotto , Alessandro Birindelli , Jonathan Zebina and Federico Balzaretti . Juventus 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 for his exceptional seasons with
11832-579: The years leading up to World War II, Napoli went into decline, only surviving relegation in 1939–40 by goal average. Napoli lost a closely contested relegation battle at the end of 1942 and were relegated to Serie B . They moved from the Stadio Giorgio Ascarelli to the Stadio Arturo Collana and remained in Serie B until after the war. Play restarted in 1945 with two divisions: one consisting of Serie A teams from
11948-490: Was awarded the Silver Ball after being named the tournament's second-best player. He was named the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year , making him the only defender in history to have won the award. He also 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 . In 2009, Cannavaro overtook Maldini as
12064-534: Was bought by Siliguri for $ 830,000, exceeding his "base price" by $ 50,000. However, the league never came to fruition and Cannavaro stayed in retirement. 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 UEFA 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. In 1996, he participated also at
12180-402: Was cancelled due to World War I. Due to financial pressure, the two rival clubs merged as the "Foot-Ball Club Internazionale-Naples", abbreviated as "FBC Internaples" on 2 October 1922. Internaples', and later Napoli's kits are derived from those of Naples FBC and Internazionale Napoli; adopting the sky blue from Naples' shirts and the white shorts from Internazionale Napoli. The merged club
12296-405: Was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic , Luigi Einaudi . The highest-ranking honour of the Republic, it is awarded for "merit acquired by the nation" in the fields of literature, the arts, economy, public service, and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities and for long and conspicuous service in civilian and military careers. The post-nominal letters for
12412-468: Was formed in 1926 as Associazione Calcio Napoli following the merger of US Internazionale Napoli and Naples Foot-Ball Club . Napoli saw relatively little success in its early years, winning their first major trophy in the 1962 Coppa Italia . Napoli then saw increased success in the late 1970s (including their second Coppa Italia in 1976 ) and especially in the 1980s, after the club acquired Diego Maradona in 1984. During his time in Naples, Maradona helped
12528-520: Was made possible due to Cannavaro's tactical intelligence, versatility, technical ability, ball playing ability, stamina, low centre of gravity and pace, which also enabled him to start plays from the backline after winning possession. Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( Italian : Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana ) is the most senior Italian order of merit . It
12644-468: Was named as his first team coach. He guided Al-Ahli to UAE Pro League and UAE League Cup titles in his first season in charge. On 5 November 2014, Cannavaro was named as the new head coach of Chinese Super League title-holder and four-time champions Guangzhou Evergrande , replacing his former national team manager Marcello Lippi. Cannavaro was formally unveiled by the club on the same day. On 4 June 2015, Guangzhou Evergrande suddenly announced Cannavaro
12760-528: Was played in Berlin. Along with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, Cannavaro played each minute of every match in the tournament for Italy, completing 211 passes and winning 16 challenges. Even with usual defensive partner Alessandro Nesta out due to injury, 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
12876-538: Was replaced by Luiz Felipe Scolari after a Super League match against Tianjin Teda . On 24 October 2015, Cannavaro was named new head coach of Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr replacing Jorge da Silva . The following 11 February, he rescinded his contract. On 9 June 2016, Tianjin Quanjian , who were on a streak of seven consecutive competitive matches without a win under Vanderlei Luxemburgo , announced Cannavaro became
12992-580: 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. Cannavaro was also awarded the 2006 Ballon d'Or and the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year for his performances throughout the season and at the World Cup, also being named to the FIFPro World XI and the UEFA Team of
13108-400: Was scored by Alessandro Del Piero from an assist by Alberto Gilardino . However, Cannavaro's crowning moment was lifting the World Cup trophy 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
13224-422: Was seen by some media and fans to be a continuation of Internazionale Napoli rather than a new club; it played its games at Internazionale Napoli's Terme di Agnano rather than Naples FBC's Campo del Poligono and kept Internazionale Napoli's nickname of Gli Azzurri (The Blues) rather than I Blucelesti (The Navy Blue and Sky Blues) used by Naples. Internaples were also given the nickname I Puledri (the foals), as
13340-450: Was sent off. Reduced to ten 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 Milan. The club finished the league season in seventh place, with only a Europa League spot, its worst Serie A finish for
13456-700: Was sold to Parma in the summer of 1995, and in his first season, he was instantly a regular on the first team, scoring once in 29 appearances in the league. He would go on to win trophies with the club and achieve several personal accomplishments, such as 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
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