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Claudio Paul CaniggiaFormer Argentine footballer, striker
Date of Birth: 09.01.1967
Country:  Argentina |
Content:
- Biography of Claudio Caniggia
- Move to Italy and Scandals
- Return to Football and Friendship with Maradona
- Return to Italy and Move to Scotland
- Later Career and Retirement
- International Career
Biography of Claudio Caniggia
Early Life and CareerClaudio Caniggia, a former Argentine football player, was born in the small town of Anderson in the Buenos Aires province in 1967. He began his football career playing for River Plate in Argentina.
Move to Italy and Scandals
In 1988, Caniggia moved to Italy, where he initially played for Verona without much success. However, he then spent three seasons playing for Atalanta and had a relatively successful stint. In 1992, he transferred to Roma.
On March 21, 1993, after a home match against Napoli that ended in a 1-1 draw, traces of cocaine were found in Caniggia's doping test analysis. As a result, he was banned from football for 13 months.
Return to Football and Friendship with Maradona
After serving his suspension, Caniggia played one year in Portugal before returning to his homeland to join Boca Juniors, the club where he began his career. Here, he played alongside his friend Diego Maradona.
Return to Italy and Move to Scotland
In 1999, Caniggia returned to Italy, signing with Atalanta again, which was then in Serie B. He had a mediocre season, scoring only one goal in 17 games, but the club earned promotion to the top league.
Unexpectedly, in October 2000, Caniggia joined Scottish club Dundee. He became the highest-paid player in the team, earning £15,000 a week. In the summer of 2001, he was acquired by Rangers after a competition with Celtic and English Premier League clubs. Caniggia won three cup titles and became a Scottish champion during his two seasons with Rangers.
Later Career and Retirement
Despite promises to keep Caniggia in the team if they won the championship, Rangers decided to put him up for sale. Caniggia finished his career in Qatar.
International Career
Caniggia made his debut for the Argentine national team on June 10, 1987, in a match against Italy. His two goals in the round of 16 and semifinals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup helped Argentina reach the final. However, he couldn't participate in the final due to a yellow card received in the semifinal against Italy.
In the 1994 World Cup, Caniggia scored twice in a group stage match against Nigeria. However, Argentina couldn't progress beyond the round of 16 after being psychologically affected by Maradona's disqualification.
Despite a conflict with the national team manager over his hairstyle, Caniggia's impressive performances for Rangers earned him a call-up for the 2002 World Cup. However, he didn't play a single minute and was sent off from the bench in the third group stage match against Sweden for inappropriate remarks towards the referee.
Overall, Claudio Caniggia was known for his remarkable skills, speed, and technical abilities on the field. However, his career was marred by scandals both on and off the pitch.
