Real present Cannavaro - fans want Adriano (Roundup)

Jul 25, 2006, 17:46 GMT

Madrid - Fabio Cannavaro signed a three-year contract at Spanish football giants Real Madrid on Tuesday, 16 days after captaining Italy to the World Cup title.

Cannavaro arrived in Madrid Monday and completed the move from Italy's Juventus after a medical, followed by a presentation in front of around 1,000 fans in the Bernabeu stadium.

'It's a huge honour to be here. Real Madrid is such an important club in Europe and around the world,' he said.

'I have come to Madrid with lots of enthusiasm, and the fact that I am almost 33 years old is insignificant. I hope we can win lots of titles. My family and I would like to thank you all for the treatment we have received since arriving and for this incredible opportunity.'

New Madrid president Ramon Calderon said: 'Fabio being the first player presented has a special symbolic meaning, being that he is a true number one with great leadership skills. We are convinced he will be a role model to help build a winning team

Cannavaro and Brazil's Emerson, who has yet to put pen to paper, join Real for 20 million euros (25.3 million dollars) from Juventus, which has been relegated to the second division over a match-fixing affair in Italy.

In Madrid they are reunited with their former Juve coach Fabio Capello.

The defender Cannavaro, who received the number 5 jersey retired Frenchman Zinedine Zidane used to wear, captained Italy to World Cup victory on July 9 in Berlin, with Italy beating France on penalties.

Madrid officials hope for a winning formula at the club as well, given that Real has not won a title of any kind since 2003.

More prominent signings are expected in the following weeks to change the face of the Real team, one prime candidate being Dutch marksman Ruud van Nistelrooy from Manchester United.

If the fans had a saying, Real would also swap Ronaldo for fellow Brazilian Adriano, an online poll in sports daily AS revealed on Tuesday.

Fifty-two per cent of 'madridistas' would prefer to bring in Adriano from Inter Milan rather than start next season with Ronaldo, who has become an unpoplar figure at the Bernabeu.

The possibility of a switch was revealed by AS on Monday, and apparently has the approval of Capello.