February 1 2006
Cannavaro, Totti and Collina presented as FIFA/SOS ambassadors
31/01/2006 - Italian footballers Fabio Cannavaro and Francesco Totti, as well as former referee Pierluigi Collina, were presented as "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages" ambassadors at the "Oscar del Calcio" gala organised by the Italian Players' Association (AIC).
Cannavaro, Totti and Collina join an illustrious list of football greats serving as honorary FIFA/SOS ambassadors, which includes their compatriot Christian Vieri, and other players such as Andriy Shevchenko, Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jay Jay Okocha and many more!
During the "Oscar del Calcio" gala, which was broadcast live in Italy, Cannavaro and Collina received their official "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages" ambassador certificate, and also pledged their support for 6 villages for 2006 - Official Charity Campaign of the 2006 FIFA World CupTM.
All of three new Italian FIFA/SOS ambassadors collected "Oscars" for their feats in the football season 2004-2005. Cannavaro, a Juventus player and captain of the Italian national squad, pocketed the award for best defender. Collina, who was widely regarded as one of the best football referees in the world before his retirement in 2005, was awarded the prize for best referee. And Totti, an AS Roma and national team striker, won a special prize for the best goal of the year.