Claudio Caniggia
Encyclopedia
Claudio Paul Caniggia is a former Argentine
football
forward
, who played 50 times for the Argentine national team
. He appeared in three World Cups
, and was a member of both rival clubs River Plate
and Boca Juniors
. Caniggia was known for his speed as a player and competed in Athletics before his football career. He ran his best time for the hundred meters of 10.70s whilst competing in athletic tournaments at the provincial level. At that level he also ran the 200 meters and also competed in long jump. However, he did not reach the National level in athletic tournaments because he had dedicated himself full-time to football, playing for River Plate
. Caniggia, as a football player, could run 100 meters in 11.2 seconds. Currently He lives in Marbella, Spain.
(1985–88), Hellas Verona (1988–89), Atalanta
(1989–92 and 1999–2000), AS Roma
(1992–93), S.L. Benfica (1994–95), Boca Juniors
(1995–98), Dundee
(2000–01) and Rangers
(2001–03). He has become a club legend and cult-hero
at many of the clubs he has played at.
Caniggia got a 13-month ban for taking cocaine in 1993 and has a history of enjoying the high life. After his ban expired he joined Benfica on a year-long loan financed by the Parmalat
dairy company.
Argentine media mogul Eduardo Eurnekian
then acquired the rights to Caniggia from AS Roma
and Diego Maradona
from Racing Club de Avellaneda
, loaning them to Boca Juniors
in exchange for matches played on his television stations. At the completion of his one-year contract, Caniggia's outspoken wife refused to return to Argentina
and he was heavily linked with clubs in England
. In September 1996 his mother committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of her building and Caniggia did not play in the 1996–97 season. He returned to play for Boca in 1997–98 but his appearances were sporadic as he missed out on the 1998 World Cup squad. After another season of inactivity he re-joined Atalanta
in Serie B
, but left after one season following a dispute with coach Giovanni Vavassori
. He then signed for Scottish club Dundee, managed by Ivano Bonnetti whom he knew well from their time together in Italy. Quickly becoming Dundee's star player, he was then transferred to Glasgow Rangers, becoming a fans favourite at Ibrox, after scoring against arch rivals Celtic in a cup final.
Caniggia was capped 50 times for Argentina, scoring 16 goals. He played at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, scoring 4 goals in 8 matches. Contrary to popular belief and largely due to loose interpretation, Caniggia was not a striker, but rather a playmaker forward. Throughout the Copa América 1991, Caniggia asserted his dominance and was arguably the most dynamic player. He scored 2 goals and made 4 assists in the tournament. He also helped Argentina win the 1992 Confederations Cup, in which he scored a goal in the final itself.
To Argentine football fans, Claudio has always been an eccentric footballer, playing for many different clubs in many different countries, which is why it is impossible to associate him with a single club. Instead he holds a unique place in their affections. Because when they think of El Pajaro, it is always in the "celeste and blanca" colours of the national team. Claudio is synonymous with World Cups, winning goals and triumphs for Argentina.
Caniggia is great friends with Argentine legend Diego Maradona
; the duo once celebrated a goal with a kiss on the lips. Claudio's wife at that time, model Mariana Nannis, said: "At times I believe Diego is in love with my husband. It must be the long hair and big muscles."
, memorably being fouled thrice in a single dribble as he carried the ball forward, the last, by Benjamin Massing
earning the Cameroonian a straight red card (Massing kicked Caniggia so hard his own shoe came off). In the subsequent matches, Caniggia was in the starting lineup. In the second round, Argentina faced Brazil
, and with the score 0–0 after 80 minutes, a pass by Diego Maradona
left Caniggia one on one against Brazilian goalkeeper Taffarel
; Caniggia dribbled past him and scored on the empty goal, giving Argentina the victory and eliminating Brazil from the tournament in what was seen as a huge upset. The goal gave him legendary status among the Argentine fans for knocking out their chief rivals.
Argentina then beat Yugoslavia
on penalty kicks
, advancing to semifinals, where they played against Italy
. The Italians had not conceded any goals in five matches, and were up 1–0 at halftime. In the second half, Caniggia headed a cross into the net of goalkeeper Walter Zenga
, ending his record streak at 517 minutes without conceding a goal, and sending the match into extra time. After no change in the score, penalty kicks were taken, and Argentina won again through this method, advancing to the final. Caniggia had been cautioned in the first round match against the Soviet Union
, and then received another yellow card against Italy
for a deliberate hand-ball-play, which earned him a suspension. He had to watch the final between his team and Germany
from the stands, which Argentina lost 0–1.
, the first from a Gabriel Batistuta
free kick rebound and second one from a free kick by Diego Maradona
, which he finished, putting the ball in top right hand corner. This was the last match in which Maradona would be involved with the national team and is considered one of the best teams Argentina has ever had.
, he was frozen out of the national team for a number of years. He made a brief comeback to the Marcelo Bielsa
-coached squad for the 2002 World Cup, but did not play. He received a red card
for cursing at the referee from the bench in Argentina's last match against Sweden
.
Argentina River Plate
Italy Atalanta B.C.
Italy A.S. Roma
Scotland Rangers
Qatar Qatar SC
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, who played 50 times for the Argentine national team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
. He appeared in three World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, and was a member of both rival clubs River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
and Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
. Caniggia was known for his speed as a player and competed in Athletics before his football career. He ran his best time for the hundred meters of 10.70s whilst competing in athletic tournaments at the provincial level. At that level he also ran the 200 meters and also competed in long jump. However, he did not reach the National level in athletic tournaments because he had dedicated himself full-time to football, playing for River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
. Caniggia, as a football player, could run 100 meters in 11.2 seconds. Currently He lives in Marbella, Spain.
Club career
At club level, Caniggia played for River PlateClub Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
(1985–88), Hellas Verona (1988–89), Atalanta
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
(1989–92 and 1999–2000), AS Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
(1992–93), S.L. Benfica (1994–95), Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
(1995–98), Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
(2000–01) and Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
(2001–03). He has become a club legend and cult-hero
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
at many of the clubs he has played at.
Caniggia got a 13-month ban for taking cocaine in 1993 and has a history of enjoying the high life. After his ban expired he joined Benfica on a year-long loan financed by the Parmalat
Parmalat
Parmalat SpA is a multinational Italian dairy and food corporation. Having become the leading global company in the production of ultra high temperature milk, the company collapsed in 2003 with a €14 billion hole in its accounts in what remains Europe's biggest bankruptcy...
dairy company.
Argentine media mogul Eduardo Eurnekian
Eduardo Eurnekian
Eduardo Eurnekian is an Argentinian businessman.-Rise to prominence:Eduardo Eurnekian was born to immigrants from Armenia, in 1932...
then acquired the rights to Caniggia from AS Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
and Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
from Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
, loaning them to Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
in exchange for matches played on his television stations. At the completion of his one-year contract, Caniggia's outspoken wife refused to return to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and he was heavily linked with clubs in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In September 1996 his mother committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of her building and Caniggia did not play in the 1996–97 season. He returned to play for Boca in 1997–98 but his appearances were sporadic as he missed out on the 1998 World Cup squad. After another season of inactivity he re-joined Atalanta
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
in Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
, but left after one season following a dispute with coach Giovanni Vavassori
Giovanni Vavassori
Giovanni Vavassori is an Italian football manager and former centre back, last in charge of Verona.-Playing:...
. He then signed for Scottish club Dundee, managed by Ivano Bonnetti whom he knew well from their time together in Italy. Quickly becoming Dundee's star player, he was then transferred to Glasgow Rangers, becoming a fans favourite at Ibrox, after scoring against arch rivals Celtic in a cup final.
International career
Caniggia was a key player in both the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, but was not picked under the strict regime of coach Daniel Passarella for France '98.Caniggia was capped 50 times for Argentina, scoring 16 goals. He played at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, scoring 4 goals in 8 matches. Contrary to popular belief and largely due to loose interpretation, Caniggia was not a striker, but rather a playmaker forward. Throughout the Copa América 1991, Caniggia asserted his dominance and was arguably the most dynamic player. He scored 2 goals and made 4 assists in the tournament. He also helped Argentina win the 1992 Confederations Cup, in which he scored a goal in the final itself.
To Argentine football fans, Claudio has always been an eccentric footballer, playing for many different clubs in many different countries, which is why it is impossible to associate him with a single club. Instead he holds a unique place in their affections. Because when they think of El Pajaro, it is always in the "celeste and blanca" colours of the national team. Claudio is synonymous with World Cups, winning goals and triumphs for Argentina.
Caniggia is great friends with Argentine legend Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
; the duo once celebrated a goal with a kiss on the lips. Claudio's wife at that time, model Mariana Nannis, said: "At times I believe Diego is in love with my husband. It must be the long hair and big muscles."
1990 World Cup
At the 1990 World Cup, Caniggia scored two key goals to help Argentina reach the final. He came off the bench in the inaugural match against CameroonCameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
, memorably being fouled thrice in a single dribble as he carried the ball forward, the last, by Benjamin Massing
Benjamin Massing
Benjamin Massing is a retired Cameroonian footballer who played as a central defender.Massing, who played professionally for, among others, France's US Créteil , was picked up for Cameroon's squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, where he was famously sent off in the opening match, for a spectacular...
earning the Cameroonian a straight red card (Massing kicked Caniggia so hard his own shoe came off). In the subsequent matches, Caniggia was in the starting lineup. In the second round, Argentina faced Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, and with the score 0–0 after 80 minutes, a pass by Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
left Caniggia one on one against Brazilian goalkeeper Taffarel
Cláudio Taffarel
Cláudio André Mergen Taffarel is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is of German and Italian descent....
; Caniggia dribbled past him and scored on the empty goal, giving Argentina the victory and eliminating Brazil from the tournament in what was seen as a huge upset. The goal gave him legendary status among the Argentine fans for knocking out their chief rivals.
Argentina then beat Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
on penalty kicks
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
, advancing to semifinals, where they played against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
. The Italians had not conceded any goals in five matches, and were up 1–0 at halftime. In the second half, Caniggia headed a cross into the net of goalkeeper Walter Zenga
Walter Zenga
Walter Zenga is a retired Italian footballer and current manager. He is a long-time goalkeeper for the Italian national team and Internazionale. He also holds Romanian citizenship...
, ending his record streak at 517 minutes without conceding a goal, and sending the match into extra time. After no change in the score, penalty kicks were taken, and Argentina won again through this method, advancing to the final. Caniggia had been cautioned in the first round match against the Soviet Union
USSR national football team
The Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
, and then received another yellow card against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
for a deliberate hand-ball-play, which earned him a suspension. He had to watch the final between his team and Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
from the stands, which Argentina lost 0–1.
1994 World Cup
Caniggia scored two goals in the 1994 World Cup, both of them in the first round match against NigeriaNigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
, the first from a Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta , nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches...
free kick rebound and second one from a free kick by Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
, which he finished, putting the ball in top right hand corner. This was the last match in which Maradona would be involved with the national team and is considered one of the best teams Argentina has ever had.
2002 World Cup
After refusing to cut his long hair despite the rules of national coach Daniel PassarellaDaniel Passarella
Daniel Alberto Passarella is a former Argentine football centre back and former manager of the Argentine and Uruguayan national football teams. He was captain of the Argentina team that won the 1978 World Cup...
, he was frozen out of the national team for a number of years. He made a brief comeback to the Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Bielsa
Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera is an Argentine association football coach and former defender, born in Rosario, Santa Fe...
-coached squad for the 2002 World Cup, but did not play. He received a red card
Misconduct (football)
Misconduct in association football is any conduct by a player that is deemed by the referee to warrant a disciplinary sanction in accordance with Law 12 of the Laws of the Game. Misconduct may occur at any time, including when the ball is out of play, during half-time and before and after the...
for cursing at the referee from the bench in Argentina's last match against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
.
Honours
Argentina River PlateClub Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
- Primera División ArgentinaPrimera División ArgentinaThe Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
: 1985–86 - Copa Libertadores: 1986
- Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 1986 - Copa InteramericanaCopa InteramericanaCopa Interamericana was a football trophy contested between the champions of CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores de América and the winners of CONCACAF's Champions' Cup...
: 1986
Italy Atalanta B.C.Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
- Serie BSerie BSerie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
: 1999-00 (Runners-up)
Italy A.S. RomaA.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
- Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
: 1992–93 (Runners-up)
Scotland Rangers
- Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
: 2002–03 - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
: 2002, 2003 - Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
: 2002
Qatar Qatar SCQatar Sports Club
Qatar Sports Club is a sports club based in Doha, Qatar. It is best known for its football team that plays in the Qatari League.Qatar Sports Club players wear a yellow shirt and black shorts as their home kit and have the fourth largest stadium in Qatar, Qatar SC Stadium, which has a capacity of...
- Prince CupQatar Crown Prince CupThe Qatar Crown Prince Cup is a cup tournament in men's football. It is played by the top-4 teams of the Qatar National First Division after each season.-Previous winners:*1995 : Al Rayyan Club 1-0 Al-Arabi*1996 : Al Rayyan Club 2-0 Al-Wakra...
: 2003–04
International honours
- Copa AméricaCopa AméricaThe Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
: 1991 - Confederations Cup: 1992
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
: 19901990 FIFA World CupThe 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
(Runners-up)
External links
- Short biography
- Profile at Argentine Soccer Futbol Factory profile (Archived)