Apart from the pressure of captaincy, Cannavaro was forced to cope with the loss through injury of regular central defensive partner Alessandro Nesta, breaking up one of the finest defensive alliances in the world. The man who took Nesta’s spot, Marco Materazzi (goalscorer and head butt victim in the final), proved adept at grabbing the headlines but left Cannavaro with more than his share of defensive work. Cannavaro was able to compensate, using his unique positional sense and ability to read the game intelligently. It is these attributes that have made him a player coveted by almost every top club coach in the world. Recent rumours have linked him with a move from relegation-threatened Juventus to Real Madrid.