'Cannavaro deserved best player awards'

Real Madrid defender Fabio Cannavaro's choice as the winner of both the World and European Player of the Year awards in 2006 on the back of his stellar performances in Italy's World Cup triumph, earned Paolo Maldini's seal of approval.

"Cannavaro had a very good year and he deserves those awards," Maldini said.

No sooner had Maldini finished commenting on Cannavaro's achievements than Clarence Seedorf weighed in with a passing remark which stirred up a mini-debate at the Crescent Room of the Radisson Golden Sands yesterday.

"He (Maldini) should have won the World Player of the Year award a long time ago," Seedorf quipped.

"There were other great defenders, like Franco Baresi, who didn't win that award during their careers," Maldini observed.

Winner of countless honours during his glittering career with Milan, Maldini admitted a twinge of disappointment not to possess a World Cup winner medal.

"The World Cup is perhaps the title I miss most," Maldini said.

Of his reported plans to retire from football at the end of the season, Maldini, now 38, said: "There's still six months left before the end of the season.

"We'll see what happens then but the possibility (of retiring) is still there."