Argentine footballer Claudio Caniggia: biography, interesting facts, sports career

Football is multifaceted, unpredictable, in fact, the beautiful and. Why they call it the game of millions - of rich history for a bright present, for the unknown future. For beautiful stadiums, for moments of unity of entire nations for offensive players who have become symbols of entire eras. Some, such as the English midfielder Joey Barton, known more outside the green lawn, while others, like Steven Gerrard, modestly doing their job and earned recognition and respect for the many millions of fans. Well, the third time to celebrate and on the football field and outside of it, causing both love and hate. To those include the infamous Paul Gascoigne or one of the controversial South American soccer players Claudio Caniggia. Last, by the way, we have a very close friend of another extraordinary compatriot - Diego Maradona, and therefore of particular interest to gourmets game of millions.

Biography

The future star of Argentine football was born in a small town called Ederson relating to the province of Buenos Aires, January 9, 1967. Like any other boy, who was born in South America, Claudio literally grew up with the ball, filling the football all the free time from school. And sometimes replacing them the school itself. At age 15, he finds himself in the youth team, "River Plate", where he began his professional career playing for the main part of "millionaires" three years later.

For 19 years, the Argentine striker played at home, in Italy, Portugal, Scotland, and went to finish his career in Qatar. Claudio Caniggia - personality, of course, controversial. Some fans were ready to carry it in his arms, others - hate with all my heart. Even at home in Argentina, he was able to cause discord among the fans, because at different times defended the colors of the two bitter rivals - "River Plate" and "Boca Juniors".

footballer

As part of "striped" Caniggia played three years, after which, as the most talented South American players, decided to try to force in Europe. In 1988, the striker signed a contract with an outsider Serie A, "Verona", but to please the fans of the club is unlikely that it happened - only three times in the season scored by Claudio. Nevertheless, the new football year he started in "Atalanta", whose colors defended quite successfully for three years.

Disqualification and return to Argentina

In 1992, Claudio Caniggia walked to the next stage of his "career ladder". The Argentine moved to the capital, "Roma" and very well looked against the background of his teammates, but at the beginning of next year in his life all changed dramatically. Doping sample taken from the striker after the match of Serie A against the "Napoli", showed the presence of cocaine in the player's blood, which meant automatic disqualification for a year.

After thirteen months out of football Caniggia played 23 matches in the Portuguese championship for "Benfica", then decided to return to his native Argentina for themselves football. All anything, but he did so by signing a contract with the worst enemy of the team that gave him the path to the sport - "Boka Juniors." Total for "Genoese" Claudio spent four seasons and took part in 74 matches.

In the twilight of a career

At age 32, Caniggia was again in Italy, already familiar to him "Atalanta". The Argentinian had not the strongest season of his career, however, helped the team to return to the elite division, and then went to conquer the football pitches in Scotland. In the British Isles Claudio Caniggia, whose biography again threw him into another abyss, he spent three seasons, defending the colors of "Dundee" and "Rangers", and a lot of scoring. The final chord of the Argentine striker in professional sports has become a season of 2004-2005, in the "SC Qatar".

for one match Return to professional football

In 2012, the legendary 45-year-old striker for one match was the player of the English word "Wembley" and his goal helped the team to beat, "Langford" in the FA Cup.

In the national

Caniggia debut in the national team of Argentina was held in 1987 - in the match against Italy. Forward perfectly proved at the World Championships 1990 and 1994 years, scoring goals as a number of important goals. FIFA World Cup 1998, he missed because of disagreements with head coach Daniel Passarella and seemingly thus put an end to their future performances for the national team, but Claudio Caniggia his inspired play over the "Rangers" shut his mouth to all the skeptics and went with " white-blue "in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea. However, on the 35-year veteran was never released, but has managed to make the removal of sitting on the bench.

Claudio Caniggia: Interesting Facts

The life of the legendary Argentine striker is literally saturated with stories and incidents about which you can write a whole book. That only is his friendship with another notorious and legendary striker for Argentina. Claudio Caniggia and Diego Maradona were friends and on the field, and far beyond its borders. Together they created an incredible tandem, who shone in the fields of Italy and the United States. And, of course, we must not forget that both the disgraced striker at various times have been involved in a cocaine scandal.

Claudio Caniggia - personality is incredibly talented, and at the same time contradictory. He easily shine on two consecutive Mundial, and just as easily not have gone to the World Cup in 1998, refusing to comply with the requirement of head coach - hair cut. By the way, thanks to just the hair and the style of the game, the fans and rewarded striker nicknames like "son of the wind" or "bird-man". Football history is replete with examples where one and the same player in one country defended the colors are not just two opposing camps, and rival clubs. Such a player was the legendary Portuguese midfielder Luis Figo, who went from "Barcelona" in the "Real", this player was the Englishman, Ashley Cole, who, according to the fans, "Arsenal", exchanged their love for money "Chelsea". Claudio Caniggia is not passed directly from one club to another, but the fact that he defended the colors and "River Plate" and "Boca Juniors" in itself makes many fans of rival clubs Argentine disparage football legend. Even many years after the end of his career. The football player on the question of which of the two giants he likes, said evasively that "River Plate" Best Sports Academy, and "Boca Juniors" the best fans in the world.

Claudio Caniggia: goals, important achievements

"Seven" (and later - "eight") Argentina national team striker was not in the classic sense of the role. In various clubs he played the role of drawn forward, attacking midfielder and even played in midfield. Perhaps Caniggia has scored so many goals, how many there are in the arsenal of the best scorers in world football, but better than the Argentinian assistant, it will be difficult to determine. It is best to bombardirsky talent he failed to disclose during the first visit in the "Atalanta", as well as during performances of "Boka".

Most trophies won Claudio Caniggia, oddly enough, in the twilight of a career, playing for the Scottish "Celtic". With the "Celtic" football won the championship and the Cup of Scotland, as well as twice triumfoval in the Scottish League Cup. Both the trophy in the national team (America's Cup 1991 and the Confederations Cup in 1992), the Argentine striker also won at the age of well over thirty. With the "River Plate" Caniggia won the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup in 1986.