Fabio Cannavaro Calls It Dubai/A Career

June 2nd, 2010 | by: chris | View Comments

Until this morning, Italy was one of three teams, along with England and Germany, to have an entirely home-based squad. Then Fabio Cannavaro ruined the narrative – at least through the group stages, when he’ll still be under Juventus contract – and signed for Dubai side Al Ahli, in turn taking his career into the sun.

It is what will be one of the many surprise transfer moves during or leading up to this World Cup, though less surprising if you’d watched Fabio play for Juventus this season.

It’s a bit disappointing since he’d always proclaimed he’d end his career with hometown Napoli, but Napoli passed, which only affirms signing for a UAE side: the career is coming full circle.

“I am very happy to have reached an agreement with Al-Ahli,” he told the official club website.

“I had thought for some time about moving to Dubai, as it’s a city I love, so coming to live here is a dream come true.

“I will be in Dubai playing with a big club in this city.”

The money will help, but so too will the Dubai metropolis, which is rapidly becoming one of the most picturesque cities in the world.

But what does it mean for the World Cup? Little, outside of what it says about Fabio’s career: it’s over, and it’s appeared over for some time, which doesn’t bode well for the Azzurri back line in South Africa. To be honest, while refreshing Gazzetta four thousand times yesterday, impatiently waiting for Mauro Camoranesi’s CT results so Lippi could announce his squad, I half-though Fabio might be cut. An important locker room figure, but his 2006 form will need a time machine along with a plane ticket to get to South Africa. (No idea why a time machine requires a ticket too, but somehow it probably does.)

And this simply means Fabio will be the first of many surprise transfers during the World Cup, but perhaps more importantly the first in a wave of great players who declare their careers effectively over by their next destination.

Next up: Thierry Henry?