FIFA.com: When the squad arrived in Germany, Italian football was in crisis. Do you think that the anger you all felt helped you to play so well? Fabio Cannavaro: Of course. Before the World Cup Italian football was going through one of the ugliest chapters in its history. That made us so angry and filled us with the desire to react in some way. In any case, the players weren't involved with the whole affair; once again they represented the healthier side of football.

And what did you say to each other when you got together? Did talking about it help galvanise the players?
Personally, I didn't say anything in particular. When you're lucky enough to captain a team such as Italy, the job is so simple because you don't have to say that much to the lads at all. We're fortunate in that everyone knows what they have to do, before and during the World Cup. We were lucky because from the first minute at Coverciano [the Italian national team training ground], to the last day in Germany, we had very few problems within the squad. The few problems we did have were sorted out internally between the people concerned.

What do you think of the comment by Ibrahimovic, your former team-mate at Juventus, who said that "without Cannavaro, Italy would never have won the World Cup"?
It's great to hear that because he's a mate of mine! I know that I had a good World Cup and that I put in some good performances along the way, but I think that in terms of his comment, actually the opposite is true. Without Italy, Cannavaro would have achieved nothing.

Maradona went one step further, saying that "Germany 2006 didn't unearth any great talents; only one player was brilliant from start to finish and that was Fabio Cannavaro".
What can I say? These are my friends...even so, it's very flattering!

Maradona is a friend of yours?
Yes, I know Diego well. It's nice to hear these things coming from such creative, technically gifted players like Ibrahimovic and Maradona. In my view, Maradona is the greatest player the world has ever seen. When I was a boy he was my idol. Getting compliments from stars like him means so much more, so I'm really happy he said that.

And to think we're talking about a defender...
That's the funny thing about it. People always go on about great forwards and great midfielders, but this year, ever since Italy's World Cup victory, people are talking about a defender, about a great goalkeeper. It makes you realise that influential players can also play in defence or in goal. And that's fantastic, because it goes to show that everyone who crosses that touchline can have a decisive role in their team's success.

Let's talk about the matches, a question for each game. In the opener against Ghana, Italy seemed to have come of age and adopted quite an attacking formation. In your opinion, was that Italy's best system?
Yes it was, even though in that game we were badly missing Gattuso, who was injured. His absence meant that, tactically, we lacked balance. Even so, we'd gone to Germany with a settled formation. The coach had been developing it for two years and it had always paid off, because we'd only lost one match in all that time. We beat Germany in a friendly in Florence and we won away against the Netherlands, again in a friendly. So we were going into the World Cup on the back of some impressive results and it made sense to stick with the formation.

Against the USA, Italy employed a more defensive, counter-attacking style. Was this the result of a technical discussion with Lippi or was it by chance?
No, no, absolutely not. When you play in the World Cup you also have to adjust your playing style depending on your opponents. We knew that the United States were physically very strong, that they had a dynamic, pacy midfield and that they could therefore cause us a lot of problems. The boss was right to mix things up and rework the game plan. In fact, the USA were one of our toughest opponents in the tournament. We went down to ten men straight away and we couldn't find the net, whereas they created loads of chances and always looked dangerous in front of goal. It was a really, really hard game.

Then there was the match against Czech Republic, when you needed at least a draw to qualify. Is it true that you told your team-mates to keep their minds on the result, rather than the style - the Italian way, some would label it?
No, it's just that I think that every national team has their own style of play. It's no coincidence that Italy have won three World Cups by relying on their particular brand of football. That doesn't mean using catenaccio, because those tactics belong to the 1930s. In the modern game, knowing how to defend at the right time comes down to experience. I watched a Champions League semi-final between Manchester United and AC Milan in which Pirlo was being man-marked by one of the Man United players. If we'd used similar tactics, people would have labelled it catenaccio, but the English did it and that's football. Even so, I think it's important for a team to be able to adapt when the pressure is on. That's all I asked from my team-mates.

Funnily enough, it seems that at Germany 2006 you struggled most against the less renowned teams. After the United States, you came up against Australia in the second round...
Once again, before the match we were convinced we would get a result, but Australia are a tough bunch and made life difficult for us with their physical approach. We were also at a numerical disadvantage in that game. Even so, once we went down to ten men we were lifted by that desire which so often drives you to overcome the biggest of obstacles. That's precisely what happened to Italy in that game.

Your opponents in the quarter-finals were Ukraine. It must have been the most difficult match psychologically, coming only two days after Gianluca Pessotto's attempted suicide. Nevertheless, in other respects it was an easy win. Tell us about how you dispossessed Shevchenko, can you remember what happened?
I came up against Shevchenko so many times. But mentally, it was a really difficult match because one of our former team-mates was fighting for his life at the time. That gave us another reason to secure the win and dedicate our success to Gianluca, who is a great friend. We were also facing a team such as Ukraine, who not only had plenty of quality, both physically and technically, they also had Shevchenko. I remember one dangerous situation when I was one-on-one with him. He was charging forward and I won the ball off him with a tackle. I think I was a little fortunate on that occasion.

Then came that amazing triumph in the semi-final against Germany. Once again you were involved in two decisive moves, the first when you broke up a German attack and the second when you twice won the ball in the build-up to Del Piero's goal. Those were two defining moments in the match.
From my point of view, I think my performance against Germany was one of the best in my career. Defensively I was at the top of my game. I've watched the match since and, to be honest, even I was surprised, because usually when a defender makes a tackle, he often takes the man with him - and it's often a late tackle at that. But my tackling in that match was spot on. I don't think I committed one foul, as far as I remember. I helped stop Germany scoring at least twice. Also after the first goal, there were a couple of occasions when it seemed like I was taking the Germans on single-handedly, because I won the ball four times in quick succession and that eventually led to us scoring the second goal. It was a fantastic achievement, even more so because when we play against Germany we always manage to raise our game. Beating them in their own backyard was particularly satisfying for us.

Last of all we come to the Final. What was going through your mind? Were you thinking about David Trezeguet's golden goal in the EURO 2000 Final in Rotterdam, or that you were making your 100th appearance for your country?
Actually I was the only survivor, you could say, from the final in Rotterdam. I was very wary of France, so I said to myself, "I can lose a European Championship, but I don't want to lose another World Cup, least of all against France." I was also playing against a number of good friends, including Lilian Thuram and Patrick Vieira. We went behind almost straight away to Zidane's goal in the tenth minute, and at that point my whole world fell apart. But in fact, that was when the team's character and strength came to the fore and propelled us to victory. We knew France were the best team in the world because, besides their technical ability, physically and tactically they were in a class of their own. Nevertheless, we managed to take the game by the scruff of the neck and contained them until the final whistle. It was the most difficult match of all, but also the most satisfying because we won it.

When it got to the penalty shoot-out, were you thinking about the quarter-finals of the 1998 World Cup [when France eliminated Italy 4-3 on penalties]?
No, to be honest I was really calm at that point because I'd seen the determination written all over my team-mates' faces. When we played in Paris against France, as well as on other occasions, I'd seen so many players do their best to avoid taking penalties. That didn't happen in Berlin. Everyone was eager to take a penalty, in fact even [Gianluigi] Buffon wanted to take one! So I was pretty relaxed about it. Nothing else entered my mind, I only thought about winning.

And right at the end, when Fabio Grosso scored the winning penalty, what were you thinking? What was the first thing that crossed your mind?
I was in a bit of a daze, because at that time it hadn't hit home what we'd done. Winning the World Cup is a historical achievement, but that never occurred to us at the time. Then, when all the partying is over and you're lying in bed - I only spent an hour in bed that night because we left for Italy early the next day - it starts to sink in that you've won the World Cup, the most important accomplishment in a footballer's career. It's what you dream about ever since you were a kid, and then you go back home and you see two million people lining the streets. In Rome we were welcomed like heroes, like true gladiators. That makes you understand the magnitude of what you've achieved.

I read something you said about the children of Naples: "Thanks to football they can believe in life."
That's right. When I was named European Footballer of the Year, I dedicated the award to the children of Naples because it's a city with its problems, a city in turmoil. As you know, I come from there and ever since I was small I dreamed about playing football, about winning something important, about competing in a World Cup and winning it. And I said that dreams do sometimes come true. So in that sense, it's important that the children continue to dream. After all, it does you good and if nothing else, it helps motivate you to achieve your goals in life.

Do you remember the moment when you held the Cup aloft? How did that feel?
Just before I went to receive the Cup, I was talking to the Secretary of the Italian national team, who I've known for ages. I said to him: "Marco, I have to go and raise the World Cup." And he told me: "Relax, you earned it." It was just his way of saying that there was nothing to worry about. I decided to stand up onto the table, because four years earlier I'd seen Brazil's Cafu do something similar and it stuck in my mind. My team-mates were supporting me from underneath but it was almost as if I was floating on air... I felt so weightless!

Today we've brought the World Cup along, especially for you...
Thank you! Can I take it home again? What strikes me most about this Cup is how bright and shiny it is. When we took the field to warm up before the Final in Berlin, I didn't want to look at the Cup, I averted my gaze. I could see it out of the corner of my eye, on the steps, but I didn't look at it when I entered the pitch, nor when I went back inside. But when I finally took hold of it, I was impressed by how shiny it was. It's incredible, it really is. It has such an extraordinary sparkle to it.

And it was made in Italy.
Yes I know, by an Italian craftsman. To tell the truth, I even got in touch with him because I wanted him to make me a copy, but I know that FIFA rules are extremely strict and Cup winners aren't allowed to have their own full-sized copy. It's a shame, because when you win it you want to be able to admire it forever. Nevertheless, FIFA presented us each with a miniature version, which is beautiful. Even so, nothing beats having the full-sized version on display at home. It's just something to think about.