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KataniaFootball player
Country:
 Brazil |
Content:
- The Arrival of Catanha to Russian Football
- European Career
- Transfer to Celta and Spanish Citizenship
- The Deal with Krylia Sovetov
The Arrival of Catanha to Russian Football
Russian transfer market has been shaken by another high-profile news: Spanish Celta's forward Catanha is moving to Samara's Krylia Sovetov. The 31-year-old player, who made his name in Spain where he played in recent years, will become one of the most famous footballers in the Russian championship. Krylia Sovetov will retain its reputation as the most technical team in the country, and the club's chances of finally getting into the prize-winners of the national championship will increase significantly.
European Career
A native of São Paulo, Catanha began his European career with Portuguese Belenenses, where he played in 1995-1996. In the matches of the local championship, he was noticed by Spanish scouts, and from 1996 to 1998 he followed the route Salamanca - Leganes - Malaga. In Malaga, which then played in the second division, Catanha scored 26 goals in 40 matches in his very first season.
Transfer to Celta and Spanish Citizenship
In 2000, Catanha moved to Vigo, where he played for Celta for the last four years. During the first two seasons in the Galician club, Catanha scored 33 goals, which are now recalled by everyone when discussing the new player of Krylia Sovetov as one of the striker's main achievements in the international arena. Curiously, Catanha celebrates his goals by waving his arms and depicting a flying bird, so his move to the Samara team with the "winged" name will look symbolic.
Furthermore, the Brazilian Catanha received Spanish citizenship in 2000 and made his debut in the Spanish national team in a World Cup qualifying match against Israel. However, the last two years in Celta were not very successful for Catanha, and the footballer tried to explain the reason in an interview with Spanish publications a few days ago: "My best times in Celta were under Victor Fernandez. When Lotina came, it got really bad. He didn't treat me with due respect."
The Deal with Krylia Sovetov
Last week, due to the terrible results in the current Spanish championship (21 points after 21 matches), head coach Miguel Angel Lotina was fired from the team and replaced by Radomir Antic. However, this did not affect Catanha's decision to change the team, especially since the offer from Krylia could well have appeared even before Lotina's departure from Celta.
Official confirmation of the acquisition of the player from Krylia did not follow by the time the issue went to press, however, according to Izvestiya, if the contract was not signed yesterday evening, it should happen tomorrow. The head coach of Krylia Sovetov, Gadzhi Gadzhiyev, did not rush to talk about Catanha's arrival in the team as a fait accompli when Izvestiya correspondent spoke to him.
"Until the contract is concluded, I would not like to talk about how I plan to use Catanha in the team," Gadzhiyev said. "But I will not hide the fact that I would be glad to have such a player in the club. I cannot say that we have any serious competition for Poškus in the attack. If there is only one footballer in the attack, it is always fraught with danger. If there are two of them, it is already easier to breathe. But ideally, of course, there should be four of them so that they duplicate each other."
As for the Brazilian's adaptation in Krylia, there should be no problems with that. Samara's Latin Americans—the Brazilians Souza, Gausho, Leilton, and the Argentine Lillo—will surely help him settle on the banks of the Volga as quickly as possible. In terms of play, Catanha also seems to be a very suitable purchase for Krylia Sovetov. In a team whose midfield has assembled almost the best creative company in the country, it was a forward of the final touch that was missing, capable of bringing to mind the creative efforts of Souza, Tikhonov, and Karyaka. In addition, Catanha can form a curious attacking link with the more battering ram Poškus.
The details of the deal between Krylia and Celta are also of great interest. According to some news agencies, Catanha will be loaned to the Samara team for two years, after which he will return to Spain. If this scheme is implemented when the final agreement is concluded, Krylia will again become a pioneer. For the first time, a Russian club will be able to acquire a European-level footballer without multi-million dollar transfer payments—the financial expenses will be limited to the amount of Catanha's salary. However, some agencies also reported on the sale of Catanha to Samara and the signing of a contract until the summer of 2006.
