Fabio Cannavaro's agent has dismissed claims from Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis that the Real Madrid defender is too old for them. Gaetano Fedele said: "The words of the President were perhaps dictated by his inexperience, they have been indelicate.

"What I regret is the continuous talk of the age of a player who, to date, is the captain of the national team and a mainstay of Real Madrid. His capabilities are recognized by all those who have coached him from Bernd Schuster to Juande Ramos and Roberto Donadoni and Marcello Lippi.

"By the end of April we will make a decision. Every possibility will be considered."