Juventus comeback for defender Cannavaro

The day after the dismissal of Claudio Ranieri and the appointment of Ciro Ferrara as new coach, Juventus achieved their first transfer target for next season with the return of Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro.

One-year deal
The 35-year-old defender had spent two years with the Turin club before joining Real Madrid CF in 2006, following Juve's relegation to Serie B. Cannavaro, who captained Italy to their 2006 FIFA World Cup triumph and won that year's Ballon d'Or, has agreed a one-year deal and will leave the Spanish capital at the end of the current season. Aware that he may need to win over some of the Old Lady's fans, Cannavaro said: "I'm happy to be here again and to wear the Juventus shirt. I'm sure I can convince even the most sceptical of the club's supporters that I'm still a good player by giving all my best on the pitch, right from the beginning of my new adventure in Turin."

Naples connection
Ferrara and Cannavaro go back a long way. Both men are Naples born and bred, and both central defenders came up through the youth ranks at SSC Napoli, where they both featured in the same senior squad for two seasons before Ferrara left in 1994 for an eleven-year stint with Juventus. Both have represented their country, with Cannavaro getting his big break when Ferrara missed the 1998 FIFA World Cup due to an injury on club duty earlier that season. Four years ago, the two men set up a charity in their home city, the Fondazione Cannavaro Ferrara, to help young people in difficulty in Naples.