Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro will take his first European managerial job at Serie B club Benevento

Italy hero Fabio Cannavaro is ready to return to the helm of Serie B club Benevento.

The skipper, world champion in 2006, has wanted to return to the coaching bench since leaving Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande.

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The Ballon d’Or winner, 49, won both the Chinese Super League title and the Chinese Super Cup during his four-year tenure.

He even combined his duties at Evergrande with a stint as coach of the Chinese national team from March 2019 to April this year.

And according to Sky Sports international reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, Cannavaro has reached an agreement to take over Benevento.

transfer guru Fabrizio Romano supported the story, tweeting: “Fabio Cannavaro, ready for a new chapter as a manager. Talks with Italian second division club Benevento are now progressing well –
Deal needs to be agreed.”

It would be Cannavaro’s first managerial job in Europe, at a club known as The Sorcerers because of the witch on their badge.

They finished seventh in the Italian second division last season.

Cannavaro was one of the best central defenders of his generation despite being only 5ft 9in tall.

He had a glittering career at Napoli, Parma, Inter, Juventus and Real Madrid.

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Cannavaro won the 1999 Uefa Cup with Parma, two La Liga titles with Real and won 136 caps for the Azzurri.

He had recently spoken of his desire to function in the Premier League but appears to have accepted that such a big job is still a long way off for him.