Carlos Alberto Parreira, head coach of Brazil's national team criticized on Tuesday FIFA's choice of Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro as World Player of the Year.

Soccer World Player of the Year 2006 nominee Fabio Cannavaro of Italy smiles during a press conference before the FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich December 18, 2006. [Reuters]

"He is not the best in the world and cannot be compared to players like Ronaldinho or Kaka," said the coach.

According to him, the main reasons for the choice were the title won by Italy in Germany World Cup, as well as other players' weak individual performances at the competition.

Cannavaro represents a moment in soccer. He was the highlight of a World Cup in which squads prevailed for their collective skills, stressed Parreira, who added that, if technical quality were the main criteria, there would be no room for competition with Brazilian players.

Still exulting his country's soccer, he praised local club Internacional on their victory over Barcelona on Sunday, when they won the club World Championship in Tokyo.

Barcelona did not lose. Internacional won. That was a great demonstration of the strength and power of the Brazilian soccer, he said.

The head coach also made comments on his role in the command of South African national team, a position he will take over in February 2007. He said that he has preparing team directors and fans for possible defeats on their way to play FIFA World Cup 2010, which South Africans will host.

"We will have some obstacles, the African Cup, tough friendly games, and we will certainly not win them all," he warned.

Parreira coached Brazil in two Cups, in 1994, when the team won their fourth championship title, and in 2006, when they were frustratingly eliminated in the quarter-finals by France.