Cannavaro steps into UAE fold

Dubai: Former Fifa World Player of the Year and Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro was officially unveiled as the Al Ahli skipper at an impressive press conference on Sunday.

Cannavaro, a part of Italy’s early exit from the 2010 Fifa World Cup, has previously played for Napoli, Parma, Inter Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid. And despite his earlier intention of ending his career with home side Napoli, Cannavaro said he was relishing this new chapter in his life as a professional.

Audio: Cannavaro speaks about his new challenge 
Audio: Cannavaro on the UAE and Al Ahli club 

“I am thrilled to accept this challenge of being here and I am sure this new relationship will be beneficial to all,” Cannavaro told a packed media conference at the Madinat Jumeirah on Sunday morning.

Also attending the high-profile unveiling was Mark Bell, Al Ahli’s new Sporting Director and Ahmad Khalifa Hammad, CEO, Al Ahli.

 

“Obviously, I bring in all my years of experience to my new club. There is not much pressure on me here as I have experienced in the past at the other European clubs. I would like to see the youngsters here gain from my experience and possibly this will help us to win some trophies by the end of the season,” Cannavaro said.

The 36-year-old Italian defender stunned the football world after signing a two-year deal with Al Ahli while leaving Juventus on a free transfer last month. The Italian captain is believed to have agreed to terms for a 2.5 million euros pay packet along with performance based bonuses. However, he insisted that his presence in Dubai has got nothing to do with the money.

“This is a nice country and it is safe for my family. And after my meeting with the club [Mark Bell] I was convinced I have a future at this club. Al Ahli is the best club in this part of the world and it was an easy choice to make in the end. I would love to end my football career here,” Cannavaro said.

Besides his regular duties as a professional, Cannavaro is expected to help prune young talent with the former five-time UAE League Champions. Established in 1970, Al Ahli is one of the most successful clubs in the UAE with their fifth UAE crown coming in 2008-’09 during the inaugural year of the full professional UAE Football League (UFL).

“Fabio Cannavaro arrived in Dubai this morning to start a new chapter in his career. He is a great leader and he has been an inspiration by winning trophies wherever he has played. I hope he can bring success to our club and also show the young talent here how to be a complete professional,” Bell said.

“After I came to know of the club’s interest in me I started following the league here. In fact I have come in early so that I can know the country and the players. Hopefully, we will start on the right note,” Cannavaro hoped.