Ânderson Polga facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ânderson Corrêa Polga | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 9 February 1979 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Santiago, Brazil | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| Grêmio | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2003 | Grêmio | 64 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2012 | Sporting CP | 221 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2012 | Corinthians | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 288 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | Brazil | 11 | (3) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Ânderson Corrêa Polga (born on February 9, 1979) is a former professional footballer from Brazil. He played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football. Polga is best known for spending most of his career with Sporting in Portugal. He played in 327 official games for them. He also started his career playing for Grêmio in Brazil. A big highlight of his career was representing the Brazilian national team and winning the World Cup in 2002.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Grêmio
Ânderson Polga grew up playing football at Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, a famous club in Brazil. He was born in Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul. From early on, he was a very important defender for his team. He helped Grêmio win two big trophies in 2001. These were the Campeonato Gaúcho, which is the state championship, and the Copa do Brasil, which is the Brazilian Cup.
Moving to Sporting CP
In 2003, Polga moved to Sporting CP, a club in Portugal. This was a special move because he became the first player who had won a World Cup to play in Portugal. He quickly became a key defender for Sporting, a team based in Lisbon.
During his time there, he helped Sporting reach the UEFA Cup final in the 2004–05 season. The UEFA Cup is a big European competition for clubs. Although Sporting lost the final game to CSKA Moscow, it was a great achievement for the team. Polga also helped his team finish second in the Primeira Liga, Portugal's top league, four times in a row.
Later Years in Portugal
Polga was not known for scoring many goals, but he did score his first two goals for Sporting in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League. This is another major European club competition. He played in many games during the 2007–08 season. He stayed with Sporting until June 2012, when he was 33 years old, and then he returned to Brazil.
Short Time at Corinthians
On September 5, 2012, Polga signed with Corinthians, another big club in Brazil. He played only a few games for them. At the end of the 2012 season, the club decided not to offer him a new contract.
Playing for Brazil
World Cup Success
Ânderson Polga played for the Brazilian national team. He made his first appearance for Brazil in 2002 against Bolivia. After this, he was chosen to play in the 2002 FIFA World Cup that same year. He played in two group stage matches during the tournament. Brazil went on to win the World Cup that year, making Polga a world champion!
After the World Cup
Even though he played well for his clubs in the years after 2003, Polga was not called to play for the Brazilian national team again.
Honours and Awards
Team Trophies
Grêmio
- Campeonato Gaúcho: 1999, 2001
- Copa do Brasil: 2001
Sporting
- Taça de Portugal: 2006–07, 2007–08 (Runner-up 2011–12)
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2007, 2008
- Taça da Liga: Runner-up 2007–08, 2008–09
- UEFA Cup: Runner-up 2004–05
Corinthians
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2012
Brazil
Individual Awards
- Primeira Liga: Player of the Month May 2007
See also
In Spanish: Anderson Polga para niños
