Walter Centeno

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Walter Centeno
Personal information
Full name Walter Centeno Corea
Date of birth October 6, 1974 (1974-10-06) (age 33)
Place of birth    Palmar Sur, Costa Rica
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Deportivo Saprissa
Number 8
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1994-1996
1996-2002
2002-2003
2003-		 AD Belén
Deportivo Saprissa
AEK Athens
Deportivo Saprissa
057 0(9)
014 0(1)
122 (24)   
National team
1995- Costa Rica 107 (18)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Walter Centeno Corea (born October 6, 1974 in Palmar Sur, Costa Rica) is a Costa Rican midfielder, who currently plays for Deportivo Saprissa. He is one of Costa Rica's best players in the past decade. He has sublime vision and passing skills. He also has good dribbling abilities, great technique and a top eye for goal. He has dictated play for the National Team for a long time.

Before joining Saprissa, Centeno played for Belen and Goicoechea, also of Costa Rica, and AEK Athens FC of Greece. While playing for AEK Athens FC he participated in the UEFA Champions League Group Stage managing to score in the team's away home draws against Real Madrid (2-2) and AS Roma (1-1). He was named the best player of the 2003-04 Costa Rican season by the Costa Rican sports media, after scoring 9 goals while orchestrating Saprissa's offense, helping the team to win the league.

Centeno played his first game for the Costa Rican national team September 27, 1995 against Jamaica. He has been a fixture for the team for the last ten years, playing in the 1994 Pan American Games, the 1997 and (Catalan)s, and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and approaches the century mark as at May 18, 2006 he has 91 caps and 15 goals.

With Saprissa, he has won five national championships and two CONCACAF Champions Cup, and was part of the team that played the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship Toyota Cup, where Saprissa finished third behind São Paulo Futebol Clube and Liverpool F.C.. His appearance at this tournament was considered as outstanding by FIFA experts.

v • d • e
Costa Rica squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup
1 Lonnis • 2 Drummond • 3 Marín • 4 Wright • 5 Martínez • 6 López • 7 Fonseca • 8 Solís • 9 Wanchope • 10 Centeno • 11 Gómez • 12 Parks • 13 Vallejos • 14 Rodríguez • 15 Wallace • 16 Bryce • 17 Medford • 18 Mesén • 19 Cordero • 20 Sunsing • 21 Chinchilla • 22 Castro • 23 Morgan • Coach: Guimarães
 Flag of Costa Rica
v • d • e
Costa Rica squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup
1 Mesén • 2 Drummond • 3 Marín • 4 Umaña • 5 Martínez • 6 Fonseca • 7 Bolaños • 8 Solís • 9 Wanchope • 10 Centeno • 11 Gómez • 12 González • 13 Bernard • 14 Azofeifa • 15 Wallace • 16 Hernández • 17 Badilla • 18 Porras • 19 Saborío • 20 Sequeira • 21 Núñez • 22 Rodríguez • 23 Alfaro • Coach: Guimarães
 Flag of Costa Rica
v • d • e
Deportivo Saprissa – current squad

1 Navas • 2 Rodríguez • 3 Cordero • 4 Jiménez • 5 Stewart • 7 Alpizar • 8 Centeno • 9 Brenes • 11 Gómez • 12 Alfaro • 13 González • 14 Núñez • 15 J.L. Cordero • 16 Badilla • 17 López • 18 Drummond • 19 Arrieta • 20 Borges • 21 Alonso • 23 Bennett • 26 Russell • 27 Elizondo • 29 Ramírez • 30 R. Porras • 31 Barrantes • 35 J.F. Porras • Manager: Campos
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