Fabio Cannavaro Out of Euro 2008

June 2nd, 2008 | by: chris |

This is an unfathomable day for Italians. This morning, in practice, Giorgio Chiellini and Fabio Cannavarao went in for a 50-50 challenge, with Chiellini walking away the victor and Canna left on the ground for over 15 minutes with what would later be determined to be ligament damage to his ankle before being stretchered off and rushed to the hospital. The Azzurri captain and rock in the backline will now be watching the European Championships from home.

This appears to be the first major injury blow for the Euros while the clubs are in Swissaustria, and it’s possible this may be the biggest blow to be suffered all tournament long. For all the obvious quality and depth Italy possesses, Canna is the leader on the field and off. The type of player who makes everyone around him better, and a guy who always seems to leave his best for country, as we saw in Germany 2006. His impact on the back line is simply irreplaceable, and the expectations for the Azzurri were just knocked down a couple notches.

In the lineup, it’s the occasion nearly every Azzurri has come to dread over the course of the year: Materazzi has to play. The duo of Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli may be better, but they need experience in that central spot right now. Ugh.

The man who will attempt to replace him on the squad – and who has supposedly already received his phone call and is now en route to Austria – is Alessandro Gamberini of Fiorentina. A good player who had a very good year, but with only one meaningless cap in his CV he is a long, long way from filling any type of gap. The greatest hope for many Azzurri fans is that Alessandro Nesta is sitting by his phone, ready to pick it up and come to the rescue….

The Group O’Death just got a little bit tighter, but unfortunately, at the age of 35, it may have come at the expense of one the Italy’s greatest ever defenders.

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Comments

By Ian Rose | June 2nd, 2008 at 1:38 pm

Horrible news, not just for Italy fans, but for fans wanting to see the best players in the world compete. He was amazing in Germany, and it’ll be a real shame not to see him in this tournament.

By Yuko Orii aka Méd'a | June 2nd, 2008 at 1:43 pm

Gosh…

Posted from Japan

By matt | June 2nd, 2008 at 1:44 pm

he is awesome but if any team could afford to lose a player of his caliber especially at his position it’s italy. i know he keeps everyone in tune on that team but really…oddo-marco-nesta-zambro? i feel sorry for him but i wouldn’t complain too much with a back 4 like that.

Posted from United States

By Chris | June 2nd, 2008 at 1:48 pm

Nesta retired and Oddo wasn’t even called up. CB is not a position bustling with high-quality depth anymore.

By Laurie | June 2nd, 2008 at 1:51 pm

I don’t like the Italian team, but I love Cannavaro. He’s truly decent. He did NOT deserve this. This is sad.

Posted from United States

By Louise | June 2nd, 2008 at 1:51 pm

This is just not the way Canna’s Azzurri career should end. I feel so horrible for him–he lived to play for his country.

And of course the Azzurri has lost it’s leader and the marshal of the backline.

And unless Canna calls Nesta personally and somehow convinces him to return… I think the Azzurri are left with a very inexperienced central defense and Matrix.

Posted from United States

By Greg | June 2nd, 2008 at 1:58 pm

Cannavaro is thirty four, almost thirty five frigging years old? I hope I look 1/100th as good as this dude when I’m that age. I mean, I’m clearly more handsome than him now at 26

Posted from United States

By matt | June 2nd, 2008 at 2:02 pm

chris, do you really think he won’t come back now? he almost has to i think, won’t there be alot of media not to mention fan pressure on him to return. he’s still fit. i think he’ll come back for sure.

Posted from United States

By Chris | June 2nd, 2008 at 2:05 pm

Might depend on the extent of the injury, Matt. If it’s the Achilles or something just as devastating, it’s certainly possible this is it.

By gabriel | June 2nd, 2008 at 2:19 pm

i am absolutely sick.

By Rob | June 2nd, 2008 at 2:21 pm

Massive blow for the Italians. Matrix came in for Nesta and did alright at the World Cup though. Hopefully he has that kind of tournament and not one of his nutjob episodes.

Actually sod him, For the love of God get Nesta out of retirement! He could still do a great job for the Italians I’m sure.

Posted from United Kingdom

By Muddia Dome | June 2nd, 2008 at 2:23 pm

Wow. This is a major bummer. Would it be too late for Nesta to unretire? I mean, MJ did it (twice) and I fully expect Favre too. But seriously, it would be huge of he could/would.

Matrix is too much. Especially if Tony Cass (Talentino’s stage name when he retires to perform in Vegas lounges) is also playing. Can’t have two guys with a serious ability to get tossed out there at the same time, can you?

Posted from United States

By Christian | June 2nd, 2008 at 2:35 pm

Nesta would without a doubt be the best, but there’s no way he’ll reconsider, especially since the press reports that Gamberini has already been called, and I can’t see him taking that great chance away from a young and hopeful player. And Donadoni won’t call Nesta in the first place.

Posted from United States

By Kelly | June 2nd, 2008 at 2:46 pm

This is just gutwrenching horrible. I feel awful for Canna he deserved to go out better than this.

I wish wish wish Nesta could come out of retirement, but I think we are stuck with Matrix now hopefully he can play well like when he came in the World Cup.

This news has ruined my day.

By TIM | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:02 pm

Im not a fan of the italian team one bit. But I have always had respect for Canna. Tough loss.

Posted from Canada

By TIM | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:02 pm

If Italy were the favs in this group they are not anymore. Its a four horse race now.

Posted from Canada

By Fred | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:13 pm

It’s better when Italy aren’t favorites Tim. Since this is a major blow for Italy they will have to try that much harder. The offence is going to have to score more goals to compensate. This had to happen sometime, the team is going to have to step it up and not rely on their back line as much.

I wait in great anticipation. Change is scary but sometimes it’s a great motivator.

Posted from Canada

By Phil | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:28 pm

Although I am an ardent supporter of the French team, I am sick about this, it’s really terrible. As loathsome as this guy may be to us, he’s still a great player and it’s really unfortunate we’d have to play anything less than the best they have to offer. I hope the Azzuri can pull it together against the oranje.

Posted from United States

By Cicco_gol | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:33 pm

Of course I’m gutted to see Canna out – couldn’t think of a worse Azzurri to be injured, but I can’t help feeling this will be a blessing in disguise. Especially if Fabio stays in the dressing room and on the sidelines to motivate the guys I’m sure the likes of Giorgio, Gianluca, Andrea (hopefully) et al could pull together to form a motherfucker of a defence.
That said, one of the world’s greatest defenders (and what a smile) is gonna be missed…

Posted from United Kingdom

By mele419 | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:43 pm

Oh if only Nesta would come back for this now -_-
To be honest, aside from being carded and suspended so often, I think Matrix is a great defender (when he’s on your side) so I’m happy he’s the one to play in there.

Posted from United States

By Bobo | June 2nd, 2008 at 7:20 pm

Mele — Matrix is a pretty good defender, but he isn’t world-class, IMO. It’s been a looooong time since we haven’t had at least one world-class central defender manning the Italian backline. We’ve been lucky for the last 10 years because we’ve had 2 absolutely world-class central defenders in Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro, as well as world-class leftbacks in Gianluca Zambrotta (versatile enough to play rightback as well) and, of course, King Paolo Maldini.

We have to face the fact, sooner or later, that Italy’s defensive pipeline has dried up of late. We’ve had more than our fair share of great defenders like Giacinto Facchetti, Franco Baresi, Gaetano Scirea, et. al. so it seems like the gods of football are trying to get back at us now.

Guys like Andrea Barzagli, Alessandro Gamberini, Domenico Criscito, Fabiano Santacroce, and the other U21 defenders may get there one day, but (again IMO) they truly don’t compare talent-wise to the defenders that came before them. But the last two are still very young and could pan out, but that speaks volume about the depth that we have in defense when we’re placing all of our hopes in two youngsters. Remember the days when Ciro Ferrara couldn’t find a place in the Azzurri starting lineup? I had hoped that this would only start being exposed in World Cup 2010, but it seems that we’ll have to come to terms with the issue right now.

This post may seem all doom-and-gloom, but not relying on one’s defense all the time is not entirely a bad thing. Luckily, Italy is still producing great fantasistas and supporting strikers and creative midfielders so the Azzurri of the future may be far more attack-oriented than ever before. But one still can’t help feel some sorrow for the death of an era of great defenders.

By gerrad azam | June 3rd, 2008 at 8:29 am

By Sheila | June 3rd, 2008 at 8:58 am

I’m very upset about the news that Canna won’t play. He is my favorite all-time player and a great leader for the team. I hope his injury is not a career ending one. He’ll get better. We’ll get him back. As for Nesta, he’s not coming back and as far as I know he’s not going to be asked. Materazzi is a good defender, not the cleanest player, but he’s a very good defender in my opinion and gets the job done. I think Italy will have a hard time now in the Euro, but I also think we can still make it.

By Weston | June 6th, 2008 at 11:54 am

now, lets just hope that the rumours of the triple injury bloe to france isnt a rumor (Vieira, Ribery, and Henry) and Nesta will consider coming out of retirement. Totti said that he would come out if the coach ever need him, to bad Nesta didnt, but lets hope he’ll at least think about it. . . .

Posted from United States

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