 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Wembley | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 359 | (97) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–2002 | Argentina | 50 | (16) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Claudio Paul Caniggia (Spanish:[ˈklawðjokaˈnixja,-kaˈniʝa]; born 9 January 1967) is an Argentine former professionalfootballer who played asforward orwinger. Caniggia played 50 times for theArgentina national team.[1] He appeared in threeWorld Cups, and was a member of both rival clubsRiver Plate andBoca Juniors.
At the1990 FIFA World Cup, Caniggia scored two goals to help Argentina reach the final but was suspended for the final againstWest Germany.
Caniggia also scored two goals at the1994 FIFA World Cup in a first-round match againstNigeria.
As well as appearing for River Plate and Boca Juniors, his other clubs includeAtalanta,Benfica,Dundee andRangers. Throughout his playing career, he played for clubs in Argentina, Italy, Portugal, Scotland and Qatar.
At club level, Caniggia played forRiver Plate (1985–88),Hellas Verona (1988–89),Atalanta (1989–92 and 1999–2000),Roma (1992–93),S.L. Benfica (1994–95),Boca Juniors (1995–98),Dundee (2000–01) andRangers (2001–03).[2] He has become a club legend andcult-hero at many of the clubs he has played at,[3] for instance when scoring against Dunfermline in 2003 to help Rangers win the title.[4]
In 1988, Caniggia moved toSerie A club Hellas Verona after accumulating 53 appearances and 8 goals for River Plate. He then moved to Atalanta in 1989, where he would remain for three years and score 26 goals in 85 league games.[5] With Atalanta, he competed twice in theUEFA Cup, helping the club reach the quarter-finals in the1990–91 edition.[2][6] Despite not winning any silverware, Caniggia later described his experience with Atalanta as "the best years in his career".[2]
Caniggia moved to Roma in 1992, a move both parties believed would help the club aim for theScudetto, though Roma lost its momentum mid-season with only 15 points from 17 games. After a 1–1 draw againstNapoli on 21 March 1993, following a surprisedoping test, Caniggia was handed a 13-month ban for takingcocaine; he has a history of enjoying the high life.[2][5] After his ban expired, he joined Benfica on a year-long loan financed by theParmalat dairy company.[7] During his Benfica run,Valencia contacted him.[8] He played with the white kit during a friendly match where Valencia faced Brazil inMestalla.[8] He played as a guest player in a team whereTenerife playerDiego Latorre was also included in the squad.[8][9][10] Valencia had to pay 80 million pesetas for the inclusion of both players for that friendly, receiving only 66 million in ticket sales.[8]
Argentine media mogulEduardo Eurnekian then acquired the rights to Caniggia from Roma andDiego Maradona fromRacing Club de Avellaneda, loaning them to Boca Juniors in exchange for matches played on his television stations.[11] 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.[12] In September 1996 his mother committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of her building[13] and Caniggia did not play in the1996–97 season. He returned to play for Boca in1997–98 but his appearances were sporadic as he missed out on the1998 World Cup squad. After another season of inactivity he re-joined Atalanta inSerie B, helping the club achieve promotion to Serie A, but left after one season following a dispute with coachGiovanni Vavassori.[5] 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 shortlisted forSPFA Player of the Year in 2001,[14] but was then transferred to Rangers, becoming a fans favourite at Ibrox, after scoring against arch rivals Celtic in a cup final.
In June 2012, he was one of several former professional footballers who agreed to joinWembley to play in their FA Cup campaign for the new season. Caniggia and fellow former-internationalsRay Parlour,Martin Keown,Graeme Le Saux,Jaime Moreno,Danny Dichio andBrian McBride, plusDavid Seaman (goalkeeping coach) and former England managerTerry Venables (technical advisor), came out of retirement to play for Wembley who were featured in a television documentary as they endeavoured to help the club play atWembley Stadium.[15] On 12 August 2012, he appeared in a preliminary round of theFA Cup. Aged 45, he scored the first goal in a 3–2 win againstLangford.[16]
Caniggia was a key player in both the1990 and1994 World Cups, but was not picked under the strict regime of coachDaniel Passarella forFrance '98.
Caniggia wascapped 50 times for Argentina, scoring 16 goals. He played at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, scoring four goals in eight matches. Contrary to popular belief and largely due to loose interpretation, Caniggia was not a pure striker, but rather aplaymaker orcreative forward.
Caniggia was good friends with Argentina legend Diego Maradona; while playing for Boca Juniors, the duo celebrated a goal in theSuperclásico of the 1996 Clausura with a kiss on the lips.[17] 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."
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 againstCameroon in Milan, memorably being fouled three times in a single dribble as he carried the ball forward, the last, byBenjamin 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 facedBrazil in Turin, and with the score 0–0 after 80 minutes, a pass by Diego Maradona left Caniggia one on one against Brazilian goalkeeperTaffarel; 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 beatYugoslavia in Florence onpenalty kicks, advancing to the semi-finals, where they played againstItaly in Naples. The Italians had not conceded any goals in five matches, and were up 1–0 at half-time. In the second half, Caniggia headed a cross into the net of goalkeeperWalter 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 team's second first round match against theSoviet Union, and then received another yellow card against Italy for deliberately handling the ball, which earned him a suspension (disciplinary records were not wiped out between the first and second rounds at that time). He had to watch the final between his team andWest Germany from the stands in Rome, which Argentina lost 1–0.
Throughout the1991 Copa América, Caniggia asserted his dominance and was arguably the most dynamic player; he scored two goals and made four assists in the tournament as Argentina won the title. He also helped Argentina win the1992 Confederations Cup, in which he scored a goal in thefinal itself. In February 1993, he scored the goal of the 1–1 tie between Argentina andDenmark in theCONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions, held in Mar del Plata. Argentina finally won by penalties and was declared intercontinental champion.
Caniggia scored two goals in the 1994 World Cup, both of them in the first round match againstNigeria, the first from aGabriel 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. He was taken out of Argentina's third game against Bulgaria 26 minutes into the match in the boiling heat of Dallas, an Argentine team who were also without Maradona. He was left out of the Argentine squad for the team's Round of 16 match against Romania in Los Angeles; Argentina lost 3–2 and were out of the tournament.
After refusing to cut his long hair despite the rules of national coach Daniel Passarella, he was frozen out of the national team for a number of years. He made a brief comeback to theMarcelo Bielsa-coached squad for the2002 World Cup, but did not play. He received ared card for cursing at the referee from the bench in Argentina's last match againstSweden, becoming the first player to be sent off from the bench in a World Cup.
A quick and physically strongstriker, with good technique and dribbling skills,[18][19][20] Caniggia was known in particular for his exceptional speed as a player;[21][22][23][24] he competed in athletics before his football career, taking part in athletic tournaments at the provincial level, running the 100 meters.[18] In addition to his ability to score goals consistently,[19] he was also equally capable of playing off other forwards, and of creating chances for teammates; as such, he was often deployed in deeper roles as anadvancedplaymaker orcreative forward,[22] or even more frequently out wide as a winger.[25] Due to his explosive running, which enabled him to get past opponents consistently, throughout his career, he was nicknamedEl Hijo del Viento ("Son of the Wind") andEl Pájaro ("The Bird").[18][26] Despite his reputation as one of Argentina's greatest players ever, he was also known to be a controversial player.[26] In addition to his playing ability and goalscoring, Caniggia stood out for his recognisable long blonde hair.[27]
Caniggia was married to Mariana Nannis. They had three children: Kevin Axel,Álex Dimitri andCharlotte Chantal.[28] In September 2019, Caniggia asked his wife for a divorce and started dating Sofia Bonelli, a 26-year-old Argentine model. In November 2019 he and Bonelli got married in Tulum, Mexico.[29]
| 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[a] | 2 | 42 | 9 |
| 2002–03 | 26 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4[a] | 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 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1987 | 6 | 2 |
| 1988 | 3 | 1 | |
| 1989 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1990 | 10 | 3 | |
| 1991 | 6 | 2 | |
| 1992 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 2 | 1 | |
| 1994 | 6 | 3 | |
| 1996 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 50 | 15 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 July 1987 | Estadio Monumental,Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Ecuador | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1987 Copa América | [31] |
| 2 | 11 July 1987 | Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina |  Colombia | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1987 Copa América | [32] |
| 3 | 12 October 1988 | Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium,Seville, Spain |  Spain | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly | [33] |
| 4 | 2 July 1989 | Estádio Serra Dourada,Goiânia, Brazil |  Chile | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1989 Copa América | [34] |
| 5 | 8 July 1989 | Estádio Serra Dourada, Goiânia, Brazil |  Uruguay | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1989 Copa América | [35] |
| 6 | 22 May 1990 | Ramat Gan Stadium,Ramat Gan, Israel |  Israel | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | [36] |
| 7 | 24 June 1990 | Stadio Delle Alpi,Turin, Italy |  Brazil | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup | [37] |
| 8 | 3 July 1990 | Stadio San Paolo,Naples, Italy |  Italy | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1990 FIFA World Cup | [38] |
| 9 | 8 July 1991 | Estadio Nacional,Santiago, Chile |  Venezuela | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1991 Copa América | [39] |
| 10 | 12 July 1991 | Estadio Ester Roa,Concepción, Chile |  Paraguay | 4–1 | 4–1 | 1991 Copa América | [40] |
| 11 | 20 October 1992 | King Fahd International Stadium,Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |  Saudi Arabia | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1992 King Fahd Cup | [41] |
| 12 | 24 February 1993 | Estadio José María Minella,Mar del Plata, Argentina |  Denmark | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1993 Artemio Franchi Cup | [42] |
| 13 | 31 May 1994 | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel | Israel | 3–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | [43] |
| 14 | 25 June 1994 | Foxboro Stadium,Foxborough, United States |  Nigeria | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1994 FIFA World Cup | [44] |
| 15 | 2–1 |
River Plate
Rangers
Argentina
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| International | |
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| National | |
