Algeria Impressed Me in the World Cup, Fabio Cannavaro

Former Italia football squad, Fabio Cannavaro, says in this interview with Echorouk reporter in Qatar, that winning the World Cup with “La Squadra Azzura” stands as the best souvenir he has ever had along his football career, adding that he was impressed with the performance of Algeria in the World Cup in 2010 in South Africa.

 “Algeria football doesn’t need to be presented, I watched a couple of games of the national squad in South Africa, and I was impressed by the performance against England (0-0), and yet, who could forget about Rabah Madjer and his back-heel goal with Porto, which stands among the best ever goals of the Champions League,” the former defender of Juventus, Inter and Real Madrid said. 

Cannavaro played against Madjer, a couple of days ago, in an aid game for the benefit of Libya children, in Doha, and the Algerian former striker scored twice. “Well, I liked the wonderful tricks of Madjer in that game and I liked his humanitarian side too, as he accepted, modestly, to take part in that fund raising game to help poor children. I think everybody enjoyed the game,” the world best defender in 2006 said. 

As whether to visit Algeria to meet his fans there, Cannavaro said: “Yes, why not? Algeria is one of the best football nations in Africa, and I really wish to visit it one day, and I’d like to greet fans of the Italian football through your newspaper.”

The elegant defender further mentioned that “the World Cup of 2006 in Germany “remains a shining stage in the football history of Italia, and I’d never forget such wonderful souvenirs, and how we managed to win the cup. I think we could never be the world champions if we had not Mr Marcello Lippi as manager.”

Zidane hit Materazzi in final game, but Cannavaro does not want to talk about this incident, saying “I think it’s useless to talk again about it, as Materazzi and Zidane are friends now!”

Cannavaro played for biggest clubs in Europe. “I played for Napoli, Inter and Juve in Italy and then Real Madrid in Spain; and I think I enjoyed my time wherever I played. For instance, in Real Madrid we used to hear music playing in the locker rooms and this can’t be found in Italy; yet, I’ve always believed that football is football, even if it is played in the sky!”