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Injured Cannavaro to stay with Italy at Euros
OBERWALTERSDORF, Austria (AFP) - Injury-hit Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro said Tuesday that he intends to stay with the national side for the duration of Euro 2008 despite being ruled out of the competition with an ankle injury.
"I've asked the coach to stay on with the team. It seems right to me after two years of working together," Cannavaro told a press conference at the world champions' base at Oberwaltersdorf, south of Vienna.
The 34-year-old Real Madrid midfielder, who has 116 caps for the national side, also insisted that he intended to captain Italy during their World Cup title defence in 2010.
"You'll have to put up with me for another two years," he added.
Cannavaro injured his left ankle during a training session on Monday, just hours after Italy arrived in the country.
He underwent scans at a hospital in Modling, 15 kilometres south of Vienna, after colliding with Giorgio Chiellini during the practice match and was subsequently transferred to another hospital in Vienna.
Doctors said the centre-back had suffered a double sprain of his ankle and that an operation might be needed.
Cannavaro's absence is a serious blow to Italy, who are in the so-called 'Group of Death' with 2006 World Cup finalists France, the Netherlands and dark horses Romania.
He has been replaced by Fiorentina's 26-year-old defensive rock Alessandro Gamberini.
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