Paolo Cannavaro is set to join his brother Fabio at Guangzhou Evergrande as the technical staff.
The defender announced on Thursday that his match against Roma with Serie A side Sassuolo will be his last game as the professional footballer.
“A new year, a new life … it will be an odd feeling. I won’t miss the field because it’s a decision I’ve made, but I will miss being around my teammates,” he said, as quoted by South China Morning Post.
Begining his career at his hometown club Napoli as a teenager, Cannavaro played alongside brother Fabio at Parma for six seasons.
After that, the 36-year-old returned to Napoli via a season at Hellas Verona.
In 2006, he rejoined Napoli and making more than 200 appearances in eight years with his boyhood club before playing for Sassuolo outfit in 2014.
In November, Fabio Cannavaro has returned for a second spell as Guangzhou Evergrande coach, succeeding Luiz Felipe Scolari.
