6 top defenders who switched to lesser leagues in the twilight of their careers

Tejas
Pa
Paolo Maldini

#1 Fabio Cannavaro

Fabil
Fabio Cannavaro at Al-Ahli

Juventus finished 7th in the Seria A and decided not to renew Fabio Cannavaro’s contract at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season, due to him incurring a host of injuries and his unreliable form. Even his hometown club Napoli made no efforts to sign him, indicating that the man once dubbed as the ‘Berlin Wall’ due to his performances at the 2006 World Cup held in Germany could no longer continue his career at the top.

He signed with UAE League side Al-Ahli after the 2010 World Cup. He made 16 appearances for the club scoring twice. However, late in the season, doctors concluded that he could no longer play following the discovery of a serious knee injury during a routine scan and Cannavaro announced his retirement in July 2011.

He made one more attempt to continue playing when in 2012, it was announced that Cannavaro had signed with Indian League side Siliguri. However, the league never came to fruition and he stayed in retirement.

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Edited by Ben Winfield
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