| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Claudio Caniggia | ||
| Date of birth | January 9, 1967 | ||
| Place of birth | Henderson, Argentina | ||
| 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 | 23 | (8) |
| 1995–1998 | Boca Juniors | 74 | (32) |
| 1999–2000 | Atalanta | 17 | (1) |
| 2000–2001 | Dundee | 21 | (7) |
| 2001–2003 | Rangers | 50 | (12) |
| 2003–2004 | Qatar SC | 15 | (5) |
| National team | |||
| 1987–2002 | Argentina | 50 | (16) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Claudio Paul Caniggia (Italian pronunciation: [kaˈniddʒa]; born 9 January 1967 in Henderson, Buenos Aires) is a former Argentine football forward, who played 50 times for the Argentine national team.[1] He appeared in three World Cups, and was a member of both rival clubs River Plate and Boca Juniors. Caniggia was known for his speed as a player and competed in Athletics before his football career. He ran his best time for the hundred meters of 10.70s whilst competing in athletic tournaments at the provincial level. At that level he also ran the 200 meters and also competed in long jump. However, he did not reach the National level in athletic tournaments because he had dedicated himself full-time to football, playing for River Plate. Caniggia, as a football player, could run 100 meters in 11.2 seconds. Currently he lives in Marbella, Spain.
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At club level, Caniggia played for River Plate (1985–88), Hellas Verona (1988–89), Atalanta (1989–92 and 1999–2000), AS Roma (1992–93), S.L. Benfica (1994–95), Boca Juniors (1995–98), Dundee (2000–01) and Rangers (2001–03). He has become a club legend and cult-hero at many of the clubs he has played at.
Caniggia got a 13-month ban for taking cocaine in 1993 and has a history of enjoying the high life. After his ban expired he joined Benfica on a year-long loan financed by the Parmalat dairy company.[2]
Argentine media mogul Eduardo Eurnekian then acquired the rights to Caniggia from AS Roma and Diego Maradona from Racing Club de Avellaneda, loaning them to Boca Juniors in exchange for matches played on his television stations.[3] 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.[4] In September 1996 his mother committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of her building[5] and Caniggia did not play in the 1996–97 season. He returned to play for Boca in 1997–98 but his appearances were sporadic as he missed out on the 1998 World Cup squad. After another season of inactivity he re-joined Atalanta in Serie B, but left after one season following a dispute with coach Giovanni Vavassori. 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 then transferred to Glasgow Rangers, becoming a fans favourite at Ibrox, after scoring against arch rivals Celtic in a cup final.
Caniggia was a key player in both the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, but was not picked under the strict regime of coach Daniel Passarella for France '98.
Caniggia was capped 50 times for Argentina, scoring 16 goals. He played at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, scoring 4 goals in 8 matches. Contrary to popular belief and largely due to loose interpretation, Caniggia was not a striker, but rather a playmaker forward. Throughout the Copa América 1991, Caniggia asserted his dominance and was arguably the most dynamic player. He scored 2 goals and made 4 assists in the tournament. He also helped Argentina win the 1992 Confederations Cup, in which he scored a goal in the final itself.
To Argentine football fans, Claudio has always been an eccentric footballer, playing for many different clubs in many different countries, which is why it is impossible to associate him with a single club. Instead he holds a unique place in their affections. Because when they think of El Pajaro, it is always in the "celeste and blanca" colours of the national team. Claudio is synonymous with World Cups, winning goals and triumphs for Argentina.[6]
Caniggia is great friends with Argentine legend Diego Maradona; the duo once celebrated a goal with a kiss on the lips. 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 against Cameroon, memorably being fouled thrice in a single dribble as he carried the ball forward, the last, by Benjamin 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 faced Brazil, and with the score 0–0 after 80 minutes, a pass by Diego Maradona left Caniggia one on one against Brazilian goalkeeper Taffarel; 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 beat Yugoslavia on penalty kicks, advancing to semifinals, where they played against Italy. The Italians had not conceded any goals in five matches, and were up 1–0 at halftime. In the second half, Caniggia headed a cross into the net of goalkeeper Walter 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 first round match against the Soviet Union, and then received another yellow card against Italy for a deliberate hand-ball-play, which earned him a suspension. He had to watch the final between his team and Germany from the stands, which Argentina lost 0–1.
Caniggia scored two goals in the 1994 World Cup, both of them in the first round match against Nigeria, the first from a Gabriel 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. This was the last match in which Maradona would be involved with the national team and is considered one of the best teams Argentina has ever had.
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 the Marcelo Bielsa-coached squad for the 2002 World Cup, but did not play. He received a red card for cursing at the referee from the bench in Argentina's last match against Sweden.
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