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| Week 34 Spotlight: If anyone Can… |
Monday 17 April, 2006
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 Player of the Week: Cannavaro (Juventus)
On the day that his beloved Napoli won promotion to Serie B, it was only right that Fabio Cannavaro made the headlines too with a strike which may have secured Juventus a second consecutive title.
Having gone a goal behind at Cagliari to a disputed penalty and then seeing Alex Del Piero miss from the spot, Cannavaro rose in the 96th minute to head home a corner to net the Bianconeri a crucial point.
There is no denying the importance of that header. That was clear to everyone at the Stadio Sant’Elia given the reaction of boss Fabio Capello on the bench. Normally tranquillity personified at the sight of a Juve goal, Capello’s reincarnation of Marco Tardelli’s 1982 World Cup Final celebration underlined just what that strike meant to the Old Lady’s season.
The game in Sardinia was typical of recent Juventus performances. Although there were clear signs of improvement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Bianconeri looked slack throughout periods of the game.
But Cannavaro put in a performance to rank amongst his best, especially in neutralising the threat of David Suazo, now 18 goals this term, who only rippled the net after the referee awarded a penalty for a clean Gianluca Zambrotta tackle.
Although Juve’s lead at the top of the table has now been cut to five points after Milan’s 1-0 win over Inter, Cannavaro’s latest contribution has put them within touching distance of the title with only four games of the season remaining.
Should Juve retain their Scudetto then Cannavaro will have made just as much a contribution as he did last season. He’s Juve’s most used player in the top flight this term with 32 appearances and he’s collected a personal best of four goals in one Serie A campaign.
Juventus’ capture of Cannavaro still ranks as one of the most astonishing pieces of market business in the Italian game. After an injury affected term at the San Siro, Inter remarkably thought he was finished and eagerly got him and his wages off their books by accepting a straight swap deal from Juve which saw Uruguayan ‘keeper Fabio Carini go in the other direction.
It was a poor decision by the Nerazzurri as Cannavaro got back to his high levels of the past, playing such an important role that even Milan criticised their city cousins for their latest comical transfer behaviour. “If Inter hadn’t have given Juventus Cannavaro then we would have won the League last year,” stated Rossoneri Vice-President Adriano Galliani earlier this term.
Juventus have undoubtedly benefited from Inter’s generosity, but so too has the player. Having arrived at the Delle Alpi with just a Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup win with Parma in his honours list, Fabio grabbed his first Scudetto and now looks to have kept his side in pole position for a second.
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Goal of the Week: Barone (Palermo)
Simone Barone is unlikely to forget about the 3-3 draw with Roma in a hurry. Having gone 3-0 down to a rampant Roma, Palermo amazingly fought back to grab a point with a spectacular Barone effort. The Giallorossi failed to clear their lines and a cross found the Italian midfielder whose instinctive overhead kick dented the capital club’s Champions League bid. |
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Number of the Week: 16
Milan’s 1-0 win over Inter was their 16th in 17 home matches this season. They only dropped points in the 1-1 draw with Sampdoria back in Week 22. They have thus equalled their best home performances from the 1947-48 and 1949-50 seasons. Friday’s victory also saw them reach 76 points in the table, exactly the same amount as what they amassed at the same stage of last season. |
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| Words: Antonio Labbate |
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Past Spotlights
A unique review of each round of Serie A 2005-06, including Player of the Week, Goal of the Week and Number of the Week. More
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