Paolo Cannavaro facts for kids
Cannavaro in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paolo Cannavaro | ||
| Date of birth | 26 June 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Naples, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–1998 | Napoli | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–1999 | Napoli | 2 | (0) |
| 1999–2006 | Parma | 92 | (4) |
| 2001–2002 | → Verona (loan) | 24 | (1) |
| 2006–2014 | Napoli | 236 | (8) |
| 2014 | → Sassuolo (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2014–2017 | Sassuolo | 94 | (1) |
| Total | 464 | (14) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 1996 | Italy U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 1996 | Italy U17 | 3 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | Italy U19 | 6 | (0) |
| 2001 | Italy U20 | 1 | (0) |
| 2002–2004 | Italy U21 | 18 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2024 | Pro Vercelli | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 December 2017 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 April 2015 |
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Paolo Cannavaro (born on June 26, 1981) is a former Italian professional footballer. He played as a centre-back, which is a central defender. More recently, he was the head coach for the Serie C club Pro Vercelli.
Paolo started his football journey with his hometown club, Napoli. In 1999, he moved to Parma, where he played alongside his older brother, Fabio. Paolo stayed with Parma for seven seasons. During this time, he also had a loan spell with Verona in the 2001–02 season. He helped Parma reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 2005.
In 2006, Paolo returned to Napoli. He became the team's captain and helped the club become strong again. He helped Napoli get promoted to Serie A in his first season back. Later, he helped them qualify for the UEFA Cup in 2008 and the Champions League in 2011. In 2012, Napoli won the Coppa Italia, which was their first major title in over 20 years. After eight seasons with Napoli, he moved to Sassuolo in 2014. He played there until he retired in 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Paolo Cannavaro was born in Naples, Italy, on June 26, 1981. He is the younger brother of Fabio Cannavaro, who was also a famous football defender.
Paolo's nephew, Christian Cannavaro, who is Fabio's son, is also a footballer. Christian plays as a midfielder for Benevento. He also played for Paolo's former club, Sassuolo. Paolo's own son, Manuel (born in 2002), is also a footballer and plays as a central midfielder.
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
Paolo Cannavaro began his professional career with his local team, Napoli. He made his debut in the 1998–99 season when he was just 17 years old. The next season, he joined Parma. There, he played alongside his older brother Fabio. Paolo's first game for Parma was when he came on as a substitute for his brother. Parma won that game 4–1 against Lecce.
Time at Parma and Verona
In the 2001–02 season, Paolo went on loan to Verona. He played 25 games for Verona and scored his first professional goal. The next year, he returned to Parma. For the next two seasons (2002–03 and 2003–04), he was often a substitute.
During the 2004–05 season, Cannavaro played more often for Parma. He appeared in 28 games and scored 1 goal as a defender. He also helped the club reach the semi-finals of the 2004–05 UEFA Cup.
Returning to Napoli
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In 2006, Napoli was promoted back to Serie B. They wanted to build a strong team, so they brought Cannavaro back to his first club. In his first season back, he helped the club get back into the top league of Italian football.
In the next season, Cannavaro became the team's captain. He played a very important part in Napoli's rise. He helped his team qualify for the UEFA Cup in 2008. Later, he also helped them earn a spot in the Champions League in 2011.
Paolo lifted Napoli's first major trophy in over 20 years when they beat Juventus 2–0. This happened in the Coppa Italia final in Rome on May 20, 2012. The following season, Napoli lost to Juventus 4–2 in extra time in the 2012 Supercoppa Italiana in Beijing.
Playing for Sassuolo
On January 31, 2014, Cannavaro joined Sassuolo on loan for the rest of the season. He helped the newly promoted club avoid being relegated to a lower league. Sassuolo then signed Cannavaro permanently in the summer of 2014. He signed a three-year contract.
In December 2017, Cannavaro announced that he would retire from professional football at the end of the month. He played his last game in Serie A on December 30, which was a 1–1 draw against Roma.
International Football
As a young player, Cannavaro played for the Italy under-21 national football team. He played 18 games for them between 2002 and 2004. He also represented the team at the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where they reached the semi-finals.
Paolo followed in his older brother's footsteps by being called up for the Italian national senior team. This happened under manager Roberto Donadoni on October 13, 2007. It was for a friendly match against South Africa on October 17, but he did not play in that game. This was his only call-up to the senior national team.
Paolo Cannavaro was a tall, reliable, and strong defender. He was especially good at heading the ball. He was a talented defender who could play in a four-man defense. However, he was not very fast. Because he was good with the ball, had good technique, and could see the game well, he played best as a central defender in a three-man defense. In this role, he could start attacks from the back after winning the ball. He could also play as a right-back, but this was not his favorite position. His main defensive skills included his ability to anticipate plays, mark opponents, tackle, and stay focused. He was also known for his leadership skills.
Coaching Career
Assistant Coaching Roles
After he retired from playing football in December 2017, Paolo became an assistant coach. He joined his brother, Fabio Cannavaro, on the coaching staff at the Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande. They stayed at Guangzhou until September 2021.
He then worked as Fabio Cannavaro's assistant at the Serie B club Benevento from September 2022 to February 2023. He also assisted Fabio at Udinese during the final part of the 2023–24 season.
Head Coach at Pro Vercelli
On June 29, 2024, Cannavaro took on his first job as a head coach. He became the coach of the Serie C club Pro Vercelli. However, after a difficult start to the season, Cannavaro resigned from his position on November 28, 2024. His entire coaching staff, including assistant Rolando Bianchi, also left the club.
Honours
- Napoli
- Coppa Italia: 2011–12
See also
In Spanish: Paolo Cannavaro para niños
