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Claudio Caniggia
Caniggia sonriente 1988.jpg
Caniggia in 1988
Personal information
Full name Claudio Paul Caniggia
Date of birth (1967-01-09) 9 January 1967 (age 58)
Place of birth Henderson, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position Forward, winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1988 River Plate 53 (8)
1988–1989 Hellas Verona 21 (3)
1989–1992 Atalanta 85 (26)
1992–1994 Roma 15 (4)
1994–1995 Benfica 24 (8)
1995–1998 Boca Juniors 58 (22)
1999–2000 Atalanta 17 (1)
2000–2001 Dundee 21 (7)
2001–2003 Rangers 50 (13)
2003–2004 Qatar SC 15 (5)
Total 359 (97)
National team
1987–2002 Argentina 50 (16)
Honours
Men's football
Representing  Argentina
Copa América
Winner 1991 Chile
FIFA Confederations Cup
Winner 1992 Saudi Arabia
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions
Winner 1993 Argentina
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up 1990 Italy
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Claudio Paul Caniggia (born 9 January 1967) is a famous Argentine former footballer. He played as a forward or winger. Caniggia played 50 times for the Argentina national team.

He was part of three World Cup teams. He also played for rival clubs River Plate and Boca Juniors. At the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Caniggia scored two goals. These goals helped Argentina reach the final. However, he could not play in the final match against West Germany.

Caniggia also scored two goals at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. These goals came in a first-round match against Nigeria. Besides River Plate and Boca Juniors, he played for clubs like Atalanta, Benfica, Dundee, and Rangers. He played football in Argentina, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, and Qatar.

Claudio Caniggia's Club Career

Claudio Caniggia played for many clubs. He started with River Plate (1985–88). Then he moved to Hellas Verona (1988–89). He also played for Atalanta twice (1989–92 and 1999–2000). Other clubs include Roma (1992–93) and S.L. Benfica (1994–95). He returned to Argentina to play for Boca Juniors (1995–98). Later, he joined Dundee (2000–01) and Rangers (2001–03).

He became a favorite player at many clubs. For example, he scored against Dunfermline in 2003. This goal helped Rangers win a title. In 1988, Caniggia joined Hellas Verona in Italy. He had played 53 games and scored 8 goals for River Plate.

He then moved to Atalanta in 1989. He stayed there for three years. He scored 26 goals in 85 league games. With Atalanta, he played in the UEFA Cup twice. He helped the club reach the quarter-finals in 1990–91. Caniggia later said his time with Atalanta was "the best years in his career."

Caniggia joined Roma in 1992. He later moved to Benfica on a loan. After playing for Benfica, he returned to Argentina. He joined Boca Juniors. He played for Boca until 1998. He then rejoined Atalanta in Italy. He helped them get promoted to Serie A.

Three moments in the club career of Caniggia: with River Plate (1987), Hellas Verona (1988) and Atalanta (1999)

After one season, he left Atalanta. He then signed for Scottish club Dundee. He quickly became Dundee's star player. In 2001, he was nominated for an award. He then moved to Rangers. He became a fan favorite there. He scored against their rivals Celtic in a cup final.

In June 2012, Caniggia joined Wembley. This was for their FA Cup campaign. He played alongside other former international players. These included Ray Parlour and Martin Keown. On 12 August 2012, he played in an early FA Cup round. At 45 years old, he scored the first goal. Wembley won the game 3–2.

Claudio Caniggia's International Career

Caniggia was a very important player for Argentina. He played in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. However, he was not chosen for the 1998 World Cup. This was due to the coach Daniel Passarella's strict rules.

He played 50 games for Argentina. He scored 16 goals in total. In Argentina, he was known for playing well for the national team. This was true even if his club career was not always high-profile. Caniggia was not just a striker. He was also a playmaker or creative forward. He was good friends with Diego Maradona. They once celebrated a goal with a kiss.

1990 World Cup Highlights

Caniggia brasil 1990
Caniggia scored a key goal against Brazil at the 1990 FIFA World Cup

At the 1990 World Cup, Caniggia scored two important goals. These helped Argentina reach the final. In the first match against Cameroon, he was fouled three times. The last foul earned a red card for the opponent. Caniggia then started in the next matches.

In the second round, Argentina played Brazil. The score was 0–0 with 10 minutes left. Diego Maradona passed the ball to Caniggia. Caniggia went past the Brazilian goalkeeper Taffarel. He scored into an empty net. This gave Argentina the win. It also knocked Brazil out of the tournament. This goal made him a legend among Argentine fans.

Argentina then beat Yugoslavia in a penalty shootout. They moved to the semi-finals. There, they played against Italy. Italy had not let in any goals in five matches. Italy was leading 1–0 at half-time. In the second half, Caniggia headed a cross into the net. He scored against goalkeeper Walter Zenga. This ended Zenga's record of 517 minutes without letting in a goal. The match went to extra time. Argentina won again by penalty kicks. They reached the final. Caniggia received a yellow card earlier in the tournament. He got another yellow card against Italy. This meant he was suspended for the final. He watched the final from the stands. Argentina lost 1–0 to Germany.

Winning Titles with Argentina

Caniggia define vs paraguay
Caniggia with Argentina scoring against Paraguay at the 1991 Copa América

In the 1991 Copa América, Caniggia was a key player. He scored two goals and made four assists. Argentina won the title that year. He also helped Argentina win the 1992 Confederations Cup. He scored a goal in the final match. In February 1993, he scored a goal against Denmark. This was in the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions. Argentina won by penalties and became intercontinental champions.

1994 World Cup Goals

Caniggia scored two goals in the 1994 World Cup. Both goals were in the first-round match against Nigeria. The first came from a rebound after a Gabriel Batistuta free kick. The second was from a free kick by Diego Maradona. Caniggia put the ball into the top right corner. He was taken out of Argentina's third game against Bulgaria. Argentina lost their next match to Romania. They were out of the tournament.

2002 World Cup Appearance

Caniggia returned to the national team for the 2002 World Cup. He did not play in any matches. In Argentina's last match against Sweden, he received a red card. This happened while he was on the bench. He became the first player to be sent off from the bench in a World Cup.

Claudio Caniggia's Playing Style

Caniggia was a fast and strong striker. He had good technique and dribbling skills. He was known for his amazing speed. Before playing football, he competed in athletics. He ran the 100 meters at a high level. He could score goals often. He was also good at setting up chances for his teammates.

Because of this, he often played as an advanced playmaker. He also played as a creative forward or a winger. His explosive running helped him get past defenders. He was nicknamed El Hijo del Viento ("Son of the Wind"). He was also called El Pájaro ("The Bird"). Caniggia was known for his long blonde hair.

Personal Life

Claudio Caniggia was married to Mariana Nannis. They have three children: Kevin Axel, Álex Dimitri, and Charlotte Chantal. He later married Sofia Bonelli.

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Continental Other1 Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
River Plate 1985–86 Argentine Primera División 1 0 1 0
1986–87 24 3 24 3
1987–88 28 5 28 5
Total 53 8 53 8
Verona 1988–89 Serie A 21 3 9 3 30 6
Atalanta 1989–90 Serie A 31 8 3 2 2 0 36 10
1990–91 23 10 5 0 28 10
1991–92 31 8 4 1 35 9
Total 85 26 7 3 7 0 99 29
Roma 1992–93 Serie A 15 4 6 2 4 3 25 9
1993–94
Total 15 4 6 2 4 3 25 9
Benfica 1994–95 Primeira Divisão 24 8 3 5 7 3 34 16
Boca Juniors 1995–96 Argentine Primera División 29 12 29 12
1996–97
1997–98 17 5 17 5
1998–99 12 5 12 5
Total 58 22 58 22
Atalanta 1999–2000 Serie B 17 1 3 1 20 2
Dundee 2000–01 Scottish Premier League 21 7 21 7
Rangers 2001–02 Scottish Premier League 24 5 3 0 11 2 4 2 42 9
2002–03 26 8 4 1 2 0 4 3 36 12
Total 50 13 7 1 13 2 8 5 78 21
Qatar SC 2003–04 Qatar Stars League 15 5 15 5
Career total 359 97 35 15 31 8 8 5 433 125

Honours and Achievements

Claudio Caniggia won many titles with his clubs and country.

River Plate

Rangers

Argentina National Team

See also

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