Not Content to Polish Trophies, Canna Gets into Politics

By: Martha | January 3rd, 2007

I don’t know how I missed this, but it seems a small group of Italian footballers (meaning: Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli and wor Fabio Cannavaro) have spoken out against the recent execution of Saddam Hussein. While details on Prandelli’s words are spare, Canna’s are available and abudantly clear: “Saddam Hussein was a despot and totally despicable from a moral point of view, but he was a human being, and as such it is not right for someone to take his life away.” Damn. It takes a lot of balls for someone with a profile as high as Canna’s to stand up and make strong political statements with which a lot of people will disagree — particularly when the criminal in question is the easy focus of everyone’s anger about every terrorist attack of the past 15 years. Whether you agree with him or not, it’s hard not to respect him for taking a stand.

Granted, the execution is incredibly unpopular in Italy, but that attitude is in no way representative of the way the world as a whole feels. I’m sure, for example, that if anyone here in the US knew who Canna was, half of them would be ranting about how he wants The Terrorists to win. Similarly, it’s hard to imagine an American athlete saying such a thing — I mean, all Carlos Delgado did was refuse to stand up for America the Beautiful, and he was crucified by much of the press. Imagine if he’d said he was opposed to Saddam’s hanging!

Category: Azzurri, Rumors & News

Tags: Azzurri, Cannavaro, news, politics, Real Madrid, Saddam, Serie A

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• Louise |  January 3rd, 2007 at 5:58 pm

  
  
  

  Oh my, Martha, what did I do to deserve so much goodness in one post?

  Fabio Cannavaro is officially perfect. I will hear no dissent on this!

  Posted from United States

  

• Martha |  January 3rd, 2007 at 7:43 pm

  
  
  

  I’ll have you know I had to go through pages and pages (and pages) of Canna pics to find one both with hair and without clothes — pity me, Louise!

  Seriously though, how ballsy is that interview? The full thing is on the Real page but you have to be a member to access it, so all I can see is an excerpt. Dammit.

  Posted from United States

  

• Laurie |  January 3rd, 2007 at 8:06 pm

  
  
  

  Oh. My. Goodness. That photo.

  Puppies. Kittens. Fuzzy little yellow ducklings. Cute little bunny rabbits…

  (Okay I give up. These distraction attempts are NOT working. I’m suddenly thinking he SO deserved that Ballon d’Or.)

  Posted from United States

  

• Louise |  January 3rd, 2007 at 8:33 pm

  
  
  

  Martha, I have a couple of friends who might be able to access the full interview; let me see what they can do.

  Laurie, that is just the tip of the Canna iceberg. My personal fav Canna without clothes but with hair pic is from the D&G shoot. (fingers crossed that the link works)

  Posted from United States

  

• blackwhiteandgrey |  January 4th, 2007 at 12:39 am

  
  
  

  Aww. I haven’t said too many nice things about his form in Spain this season, but this has put both him and Prandelli in my good books for a long, long time.

  Posted from Australia

  

• Matt |  January 4th, 2007 at 7:18 am

  
  
  

  Proof positive. “Soccer” has a liberal bias.

  Posted from United States

  

• Muddia Dome |  January 4th, 2007 at 10:11 am

  
  
  

  Matt, stated perfectly.

  Posted from United States

  

• Muddia Dome |  January 4th, 2007 at 10:12 am

  
  
  

  Martha, can you please post a pic of Canna’s wife? She has to be hot. If not, just post Totti’s.

  Posted from United States

  

• Martha |  January 4th, 2007 at 10:24 am

  
  
  

  BWAH! I’ll see what I can do, Muddia — certainly don’t want to drive the gentlemen away!

  Posted from United States

  

• Martha |  January 4th, 2007 at 11:11 am

  
  
  

  Post drafted and in the queue, Muddia!

  Posted from United States

  

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