 Centeno with Saprissa in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Wálter Centeno Corea[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1974-10-06)6 October 1974 (age 50) | ||
| Place of birth | Palmar Sur, Costa Rica | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Guadalupe (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Compañeros de Tibás | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–2002 | Saprissa | 152 | (18) |
| 1995–1996 | →Belén (loan) | 52 | (3) |
| 2002–2003 | AEK Athens | 14 | (2) |
| 2003–2012 | Saprissa | 251 | (47) |
| 2013 | Bayamón | 11 | (3) |
| Total | 480 | (72) | |
| International career | |||
| 1995–2009 | Costa Rica | 137 | (24) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2015–2016 | Puntarenas | ||
| 2016–2019 | Municipal Grecia | ||
| 2019–2021 | Saprissa | ||
| 2021– | Guadalupe | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Wálter Centeno Corea (born 6 October 1974) is a Costa Rican former professionalfootballer who played as anattacking midfielder and current manager ofSantos de Guapiles.
He was a regular member of theCosta Rica national team and holds the record for appearances, having gained 137 caps (135 FIFA official caps) and scored 24 goals.
NicknamedPaté, Centeno started his career atSaprissa, who loaned him out toBelén for whom he made his professional debut on 4 February 1995 againstAlajuelense. He scored his first goal on 3 September 1995 for Belén against Turrialba.[3] He earned his nickname in his childhood due to his love for eating pate's.[4]
After seven years at Saprissa Centeno had a short spell abroad when he moved toGreece to play forAEK Athens.[5] While playing for AEK, he participated in theUEFA Champions League Group Stage managing to score in the team's away home draws againstReal Madrid atEstadio Santiago Bernabéu in the 2–2 draw andRoma atStadio Olimpico in 1–1 draw, as they achieved the record of drawing all the matches of the group stage.[6] After one season, Centeno filed an appeal for debts of club to him and was released.[7]
He returned to Saprissa, where he was named the best player of the 2003–04 Costa Rican season by the Costa Rican sports media, after scoring nine goals while orchestrating Saprissa's offense, helping the team to win the league.
With Saprissa, he won 10 national championships and oneCONCACAF Champions Cup, winning the title with a 3–2 aggregate win over Mexico'sUNAM Pumas in the final. He was part of the team that played the 2005FIFA Club World Championship Toyota Cup,[8] whereSaprissa finished third behindSão Paulo andLiverpool. His appearance at this tournament was considered as outstanding byFIFA experts.
He retired in 2012, his final league match was on 5 May 2012 for Saprissa againstSantos de Guápiles.[3] Saprissa retired the no. 8 shirt in his honour as well as definitely retiring the no. 10 shirt ofAlonso Solís.[9]
In April 2013, Centeno came out of retirement to join Puerto Rican sideBayamón.[10]
Centeno played his first game for theCosta Rica national football team on 27 September 1995 againstJamaica.[11] He has been a fixture for the team for the last thirteen years, playing in thePan American Games held inMar del Plata,Argentina, in1995; theCopa América tournaments of1997,[12]2001[13] and2004;[14] plus theFIFA World Cup in2002 and2006.[8] On 1 April 2009, he surpassed the record of caps for Costa Rica (held then byLuis Marín, 124 caps, 5 goals) as at 18 November 2009 he has 137 caps and 24 goals.[15] He was the captain of Costa Rica national football team for the last part of2010 FIFA World Cup qualifications.Rodrigo Kenton, the appointed manager replacing the firedHernan Medford, chose him for covering this important role in the team because of his experience, hardening and leadership. Centeno played his last game on the national team on 18 November 2009, where they tied 1–1, in which he scored. The game meant that Costa Rica will not be inWorld Cup 2010. Centeno's goal was his last with as an International player, and it also marked the last goal of the2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying stage.
Shortly after that game, he announced his quitting from national team.
Centeno is a son of Benigno Centeno and Lidieth Corea and he is married to Vivian Gutiérrez with whom he has three children.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 February 1999 | San José, Costa Rica |  Jamaica | 9–0 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 25 November 1999 | Alajuela, Costa Rica |  Slovakia | 4–0 | Friendly | |
| 3 | 1 July 2000 | Alajuela, Costa Rica |  Panama | 5–1 | Friendly | |
| 4 | 30 May 2001 | San Pedro Sula, Honduras | Panama | 2–1 | 2001 UNCAF Nations Cup | |
| 5 | 3 June 2001 | San Pedro Sula, Honduras |  El Salvador | 1–1 | 2001 UNCAF Nations Cup | |
| 6 | 26 January 2001 | Miami, United States |  Haiti | 2–1 | 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 7 | 9 May 2002 | San Salvador, El Salvador |  Colombia | 1–2 | Friendly | |
| 8 | 13 February 2003 | Panama City, Panama |  Guatemala | 1–1 | 2003 UNCAF Nations Cup | |
| 9 | 16 July 2003 | Boston, United States |  Cuba | 3–0 | 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 10 | 19 July 2003 | Boston, United States | El Salvador | 5–2 | 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 11 | ||||||
| 12 | ||||||
| 13 | 12 January 2005 | San José, Costa Rica | Haiti | 3–3 | Friendly | |
| 14 | 3 September 2005 | Panama City, Panama | Panama | 3–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) | |
| 15 | 7 September 2005 | San José, Costa Rica |  Trinidad and Tobago | 2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) | |
| 16 | 6 June 2007 | Miami, United States |  Canada | 1–2 | 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 17 | 9 June 2007 | Miami, United States | Haiti | 1–1 | 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 18 | 11 June 2007 | Miami, United States |  Guadeloupe | 1–0 | 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 19 | 17 October 2007 | San José, Costa Rica | Haiti | 1–1 | Friendly | |
| 20 | 11 October 2008 | Paramaribo, Suriname |  Suriname | 4–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) | |
| 21 | 1 April 2009 | San José, Costa Rica | El Salvador | 1–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) | |
| 22 | 10 July 2009 | Florida, United States | Canada | 2–2 | 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 23 | 10 October 2009 | San José, Costa Rica | Trinidad and Tobago | 4–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) | |
| 24 | 18 November 2009 | Montevideo, Uruguay |  Uruguay | 1–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) |
Deportivo Saprissa
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