Verona took the player on loan during the 2001–02 season; Cannavaro made 25 appearances for the club, scoring his first professional goal. The following year he returned to Parma where he spent much of the time as a substitute for the following two seasons (2002–03 and 2003–04). During the 2004–05 season, Cannavaro became more active in the first team at Parma, making 24 appearances and scoring 4 goals from defence, also helping the club to reach the 2004–05 UEFA Cup semi-final.