Paolo Cannavaro

In July 2018, Cannavaro and former Napoli footballers Pepe Reina and Salvatore Aronica were subject to a hearing by the Italian Football Federation over links to the Esposito brothers, high-ranking members of the Camorra.

In December 2017, Cannavaro announced that he would be retiring from professional football at the end of the month; he made his final appearance in Serie A on 30 December, in a 1–1 away draw against Roma.

Following his retirement from professional football in December 2017, Paolo joined his brother, manager Fabio Cannavaro, on the technical staff at Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande.

In November 2017, following the Italy national football team's failure to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he drew criticism in the media over a controversial Instagram post, in which he blamed Italy missing out on the upcoming tournament on the influx of non–Italian footballers in Serie A over the previous 15 years.

In February 2015, Paolo Cannavaro, his brother Fabio, and his sister-in-law Daniela, were respectively handed 6-month, 10-month, and 4-month prison sentences for breaching orders and entering Fabio's residence after it had been seized by authorities in 2009, amid an investigation into fraudulent activity and tax evasion; all three have appealed and will have their sentences suspended until the final judgement has been made.

On 31 January 2014, Cannavaro joined Sassuolo on loan for the remainder of the season for free, helping the newly promoted club to avoid relegation. Sassuolo signed Cannavaro outright for a peppercorn fee of €1,000 in the summer of 2014, on a three-year contract.

The following season, however, Napoli were defeated 4–2 in extra time in the 2012 Supercoppa Italiana by Juventus, in Beijing, on 11 August.

In December 2012, Cannavaro was handed a 6-month ban for failing to report an attempt of match fixing by then Napoli goalkeeper Matteo Gianello. On 17 January 2013, the ban was revoked by the FIGC after appeal and Napoli's two-point deduction was reversed.

As Napoli had been recently promoted back into Serie B, and were looking to build a squad with potential, Cannavaro was brought back to his first club in 2006. After helping to re-establish the club in the top flight of Italian football in his first season back, Cannavaro was installed as the team's captain the following season, and subsequently played a key role in the club's resurgence, helped his team to qualify for the UEFA Cup in 2008: he later also helped his team to earn a spot in the Champions League in 2011, and lifted the club's first major trophy in more than 20 years when Napoli defeated Juventus 2–0 in the Coppa Italia final in Rome on 20 May 2012.

As a youngster, Cannavaro played for Italy under-21 national football team on 18 occasions between 2002 and 2004, notably representing the Italy under-21 side at the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where they reached the semi-finals. He followed in the footsteps of his older brother by earning his first and only call up for the Italian national senior team under manager Roberto Donadoni, on 13 October 2007, for a friendly match in Florence against South Africa on 17 October, although he did not make an appearance during the match.

Verona took the player on loan during the 2001–02 season; Cannavaro turned out 25 times for the club, scoring his first professional goal. The following year he returned to Parma where he spent much of the time as a substitute for the next two seasons (2002–03 and 2003–04). During the 2004–05 season, Cannavaro became more active in the first team at Parma, making 24 appearances and scoring 4 goals from defence, also helping the club to reach the 2004–05 UEFA Cup semi-final.

Cannavaro made his professional debut for his hometown side Napoli during the 1998–99 season in Serie B, while he was 17 years old. The following season he was signed by Parma, playing alongside his older brother Fabio Cannavaro in his first season at the club. Paolo's debut for Parma came when he replaced his brother as a substitute in Parma's 4–1 victory against Lecce.

Paolo Cannavaro (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpaːolo kannaˈvaːro] ; born 26 June 1981) is an Italian retired professional footballer who played as a defender. After beginning his career with Napoli, he moved to Parma in 1999, where he played alongside his older brother Fabio. Paolo remained with the club for seven seasons, aside from a loan spell with Verona during the 2001–02 season, helping the club reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 2005. In 2006, he returned to Napoli, where he was eventually named the club's captain, and contributed to the club's resurgence: he helped the team to earn promotion to Serie A in his first season, and subsequently aided his side to qualify for the UEFA Cup in 2008, earn a spot in the Champions League in 2011, and win the Coppa Italia in 2012, the club's first title in over 20 years. After eight seasons with Napoli, he moved to Sassuolo in 2014, where he remained until his retirement in 2017. Following the conclusion of his professional football career, he joined his brother at Guangzhou Evergrande as a member of the team's coaching staff.

Cannavaro was born in Naples on 26 June 1981. He is the younger brother of the retired football defender Fabio Cannavaro. His nephew Christian is also a footballer, who currently plays as a midfielder for Serie B side Benevento and previously played for Paolo's former club Sassuolo.