Timeframe: When Fabio Cannavaro's Dubai football career kicked off at Al Ahli Club

The Italian football legend announced he was joining the UAE team in June 2010

From left: Fabio Cannavaro of Al Ahli FC, chief executive Ahmed Khalifa, and Mark Bell, sporting director of Al Ahli FC, during a press conference in Dubai in 2010. Pawan Singh / The National

Fabio Cannavaro is regarded as one of the most formidable defenders in football history and at the tail end of his career on the field, the Italian legend had a stint playing for a UAE team.

The GCC has become somewhat accustomed to seeing international star players play in its leagues, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, N'Golo Kante and Karim Benzema all joining Saudi teams in recent years.

But in June 2010, Cannavaro announced he was joining Dubai’s Al Ahli Club, a move that many considered a shock signing. The then-captain of the Italian national team signed a two-year contract with Al Ahli Club. He had led Italy to victory in the 2006 World Cup, where he was also named Fifa World Player of the Year. He was the only defender in history to be given the accolade. He also won the prestigious Ballon d’Or, awarded annually to Europe's best player.

At the time of his Al Ahli signing, Cannavaro had taken part in four World Cups, the 1996 Summer Olympics, two European Championships, as well as the 2009 Fifa Confederations Cup. And in 2010, he brought that trove of experience to Dubai. By August 2010, he was seen training with Al Ahli at Rashid Stadium in Dubai.

Cannavaro made 16 appearances with Al Ahli Club, scoring two goals – a solid feat for a defender. However, the Italian’s stint as a player with Al Ahli would be short-lived. In July 2011, Cannavaro announced his retirement from football citing a knee injury; doctors said he could not play again.

It seems, however, that Cannavaro was not done with football, nor Al Ahli Club. In August of that year, he was made the club’s global brand ambassador and technical consultant. Two years later, in July 2013, he kicked off his managerial career by becoming first team coach, while Romanian football manager Cosmin Olaroiu became head coach. In his first season, Cannavaro led Al Ahli to titles in the UAE Pro League as well as the UAE League Cup.

From 2014, Cannavaro would go on to coach other clubs in the Middle East and China. He was appointed head coach of Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr FC in 2015, the manager for the China national team in 2019 and became head coach of Italian club Benevento in 2022. He was appointed head coach of Italian club Udinese in April this year.