He would go on not only to win trophies with the club, but also achieve several personal accomplishments, being named the team's captain. Cannavaro started the new season very well, forming good defensive partnerships with 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. He has been the only permanent member of Italy's ever-changing back line. Italy’s 2006 FIFA World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro wrote a heartfelt open letter Tuesday to his homeland, saying seeing the country ravaged by coronavirus “is filling me with anxiety and pain“.“I cannot describe how horrible it feels to see Italy suffer like this, to see so many lives lost each day,” he wrote in “A Letter to Italy” published on “My heart goes out to all the people who have been affected, and especially to those who have lost someone they are close to.” It came as Italy marked a minute’s silence and flew flags at half mast to mourn the 11,591 people who have died in the country from the coronavirus pandemic.The 46-year-old Cannavaro is an Italian football legend, lifting the World Cup as skipper in 2006 and making 136 appearances for his country.The former Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Juventus defender is now coach of Guangzhou Evergrande in China, where the virus emerged in December before spreading across the globe.Cannavaro, who steered Guangzhou to the Chinese Super League title last season, said that Italians, himself included, had been guilty of underestimating the health emergency.But now was the time for them all to pull together, said the Naples-born Cannavaro, urging his compatriots to summon the “spirit of unbreakable unity” which Italy displayed to become world champion.“People often ask me why Italy won that World Cup,” he wrote.“We didn’t win it because we were lucky. Cannavaro initially served as the club's ball boy and would often watch his idols Diego Maradona and Ciro Ferrara play. It was also in Parma that he met In the summer of 2002, Cannavaro joined Internazionale for a reported However, during Cannavaro's spell with the club, Inter mostly flattered to deceive. "Cannavaro has been the most accomplished defender at this World Cup [in 2006]. However, Juventus claimed the drugs were medicine for a severe allergic reaction to a In February 2015, Fabio Cannavaro, his wife Daniela, and his brother Paolo were respectively handed ten-month, four-month and six-month prison sentences for breaching orders and entering Fabio's residence after it had been seized by authorities in 2009, amid an investigation into fraudulent activity and tax evasion. He said the victorious 2006 team had started a fundraiser for Italy’s overwhelmed hospitals.“We must all remember that this battle is a team effort, and that we need everyone to join in,” wrote Cannavaro.“Sure, it is true that none of us is Superman. Clickbait sensationalism is not for us, but editorial independence is — we owe it to you.Get your daily dose of Sportstar with handpicked stories delivered right to your inbox!Get your daily dose of Sportstar with handpicked stories delivered right to your inbox!To continue enjoying Sportstar, you can turn off your adblocker or subscribe to Sportstar Plus. In a footballers' auction whose line-up included names such as Cannavaro's first taste of international success came over in the mid-1990s under coach Cannavaro's first international tournament came at 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.Cannavaro scored his first international goal on 30 May 2004, in a 4–0 win against Cannavaro captained Italy throughout their successful Along with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, Cannavaro played each minute of every match in the tournament for Italy, completing 211 passes and winning 16 challenges.Cannavaro's leadership and marshalling of the Italian defence throughout their march to the final earned him a place in the On 2 June 2008, Cannavaro was injured during Italy's first training session for Cannavaro also put his plans to retire from 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 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 the press.After his retirement, Cannavaro was appointed as a global brand ambassador and technical consultant of Al-Ahli Club of Dubai on 25 August 2011.On 5 November 2014, Cannavaro was named as new head coach of On 24 October 2015, Cannavaro was named new head coach of Saudi Arabian club Under Cannavaro, Tianjin Quanjian finished third in their top-tier debut with 15 wins, 9 draws and 6 losses and advanced to On 9 November 2017, Guangzhou Evergrande appointed Cannavaro as manager for the second time.On 15 March 2019, Cannavaro was appointed manager of the As a defender, Cannavaro was known in particular for his concentration, anticipation, awareness and positional sense.