Real Madrid CF defender Fabio Cannavaro has been named European Footballer of the Year after captaining Italy to FIFA World Cup glory this summer.
'Dreams come true'
"I dedicate the Golden Ball to my wife," Cannavaro said. "Like me, she could not believe it when we heard the news - we thought it was a joke. Winning the World Cup was a dream come true, but I never expected this as well. I now want to take this trophy to Naples, and to tell the young people there that they have to try and follow their dreams because, sometimes, dreams come true."
Juventus scandal
The Naples-born centre-back moved from Juventus to Madrid following the Azzurri's success in July, and becomes the first Italian to lift the Ballon d'Or since Roberto Baggio in 1993. The 33-year-old helped Juventus to a second straight Serie A title last season, before the Turin club were stripped of their crown and relegated as a result of the sporting-fraud scandal that gripped the Italian game.
Defensive rock
It was against that backdrop that Cannavaro led Marcello Lippi's side to the ultimate footballing triumph in Germany, skippering the team in every match at the World Cup. He was a rock in the final against France, although he possibly performed even better in the semi-final victory over Germany, showing the very best of his qualities in positioning, timing and reading of the game.
Madrid move
The former SSC Napoli and Parma FC pillar subsequently signed a three-year contract with Madrid to move to the Santiago Bernabéu along with midfielder Emerson for a fee in the region of €20m. Cannavaro, who has 105 international caps, is the fifth Italian overall to claim the award given by France Football magazine, with other winners including Paolo Rossi, Gianni Rivera and Omar Sivori. The last Madrid player to be honoured in this way was Ronaldo in 2002.
