Inter the big time for Cannavaro

Securing the services of Fabio Cannavaro has become something of an annual obsession among the top clubs in Europe and Internazionale FC have finally won the race for his signature.

Inter revolution
After seven years at the heart of the Parma AC defence, the Italian international has joined Héctor Cúper's revolution at Internazionale for €23m, making him the most expensive and high-profile Serie A transfer of the summer. 

Golden era
Cannavaro, 28, was born in Naples and played at the San Paolo stadium from the age of eleven. He was a ball boy at the club during the golden era of the late 80s, watching his two heroes Diego Maradona and Ciro Ferrara from the sidelines. And his style of play steals a little from both: although only 175cm, he allies an abundance of strength and pace with an instinctive reading of the game and a ferociously competitive spirit.

Young defence
He made his Serie A debut at the age of 20 in 1993 and stayed at SSC Napoli for three seasons before making his move to Parma. There Cannavaro was to become part of a talented young defence which included French international Lilian Thuram and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. But once that unit was broken up last summer, when Thuram and Buffon both left for Juventus FC, Cannavaro was always likely to move on despite being made the Parma captain. Indeed, rejoining his former team-mates in Turin was a possibility, but Cannavaro opted for Cúper and Inter instead.

'It's right to aim high'
"I'm very happy to come to an important team like Inter," said Cannavaro. "The club has invested and is investing a lot in me so it's right to aim high. Juventus were very keen on me but in the end I'm glad it was Inter that succeeded. From today I am totally at the disposition of the club and the manager. I have only been back in training for a week so I need to start work immediately.''

Parma days
Cannavaro won the Italian Cup, the Italian Super Cup and the UEFA Cup while playing at the Ennio Tardini stadium. Indeed, he played a major role in taking Callisto Tanzi's team to the very brink of a Serie A title in the late 90s after the club's rise from the nether regions of the league. But last term the team flirted with relegation as coaches came and went with regularity - four in all - and winning a second Italian Cup with the team was not enough to mollify Cannavaro.

International honours
On the international stage Cannavaro won two UEFA European Under-21 Championships under coach Cesare Maldini before making his debut for the full squad in 1997 in a 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland. He has been part of the Italy side ever since, forming a formidable partnership alongside S.S. Lazio's Alessandro Nesta at both the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups.

Mixed emotions
Paolo Maldini's likely successor as Italian captain when the Milan AC veteran retires, Cannavaro experienced the full range of emotions at EURO 2000™, where Italy reached the final of the tournament on the back of some impressive defensive displays. However, in the final, with Italy leading 1-0, it was Cannavaro's last-minute slip that allowed Sylvain Wiltord to take France into extra time before David Trezeguet scored the 'golden goal' winner.

New names
After Cúper's side went so close to finally claiming that elusive Italian title in his first season in charge, the Argentinian has added a number of players to the squad as he battles to take the club to the top. Matias Almeyda, Bernado Corradi, Francesco Coco, Daniele Adane, Domenico Morfeo and Carlos Alberto Gamarra have joined Cannavaro as once again Inter bid for their first title since 1989.