Memories of Claudio Caniggia

Chris01

Well-Known Member
Signed from Dundee fc for £900k in June 2001 at the ripe old age of 34.

50 appearances for the club scoring 13 goals. (I think)

International pedigree, scoring in the 2003 league cup final v Celtic and the final league day of 2003 V Dunfermline.

What was your first thoughts when we signed him? Did he exceed your expectations?

Any bears have any good stories regarding meeting him or being in his company?
 
Didn’t actually meet him but saw him quite often in the morning getting his kids off to school, he lived in the apartments in South Hanover Street off George Square.
 
A player you thought you'd never see in a Rangers Jersey. In his prime I would say he was world class, pity we never gave him another deal.
 
Getting booted all over the park by the Cameroonians at the World Cup.

Being utterly amazed that he ended up playing for Dundee.

Surprised that he was still as good when we signed him.
 
I thought he was a cracking player, I would have loved to have seen him in a Rangers jersey at his peak.
He had this knack of looking done in, he would stand bent over with his hands on his hips, then suddenly he would find this burst of energy and speed and he’d be away again.
I would have given him another years contract.
 
When we signed him I had doubts whether it would work. How wrong was I, he made a massive difference to us. The legs were obviously gone but he was a very clever player and contributed so much.
 
Met him at the airport after we beat Anzhi in Warsaw. He was smaller than me and I’m wee!!
Some player though, although we got him well past his peak.
 
Met Claudio in T K Maxx in Clydebank. I think it was the day we played Maritimo at home. Got a pic with him, nice guy n a great player.
 
For a guy in his mid-30s who had a reputation for ‘enjoying’ himself off the pitch, he was still unbelievably fit and incredibly quick.

Celtic’s thugs went out their way to boot him off the park in the 2002 SC final as they couldn’t cope with his pace.

He was definitely worth at least another year when we let him go in 2003. Instead we brought in Capucho...
 
I wasn't convinced when we signed him so was happy to be proved wrong he was a great signing and still had a decent turn of pace if i remember right.
 
It wasn't Mcleish mate is was feckinf Bain, he was told he had to go which is pretty terrible as Mcleish had guaranteed him a new deal. Bain was an arse and made an arse of it too.

Didn't know that. I had thought because Capucho cost us the guts of a million quid to play in the same position it was down to the manager.

Bain was useless right enough, just ask Arthur Numan about him.
 
He really suited that nippy front three McLeish liked at that the time, electric pace & I genuinely think of his 13 goals at least 8 came against Dunfermline.

Good player, though nearly £1m for a 34 year old....

Then again, Colin Hendry :))

My memories of him are the first to 50 DVD, would be ‘sick’ quite a lot just so I could watch it.
 
Was absolutely great for us but I still sort of question the wisdom of signing him and Latapy at the ages they were when Murray knew the financial situation was starting to turn.
 
Didn't know that. I had thought because Capucho cost us the guts of a million quid to play in the same position it was down to the manager.

Bain was useless right enough, just ask Arthur Numan about him.
What was the deal with Numan? I remember he was willing to take a wage reduction but he was offered something like a 70% cut? Is that right?
 
For a guy in his mid-30s who had a reputation for ‘enjoying’ himself off the pitch, he was still unbelievably fit and incredibly quick.

Celtic’s thugs went out their way to boot him off the park in the 2002 SC final as they couldn’t cope with his pace.

He was definitely worth at least another year when we let him go in 2003. Instead we brought in Capucho...

That is my strongest memory of him. He was running riot in the first 20 minutes of that Cup Final, then Sutton hit him with a forearm smash which deserved a red card, but Dallas (not for the first time) bottled it.

That assault effectively put him out of the 2002 World Cup Finals, but there was some delicious karma served up around 4:46 pm that day, when it was Sutton who failed to track Lovenkrands as he ran in to head home the winner from Neil McCann's cross.
 
What was the deal with Numan? I remember he was willing to take a wage reduction but he was offered something like a 70% cut? Is that right?
Again Martin Bain being a total c.unt, to have a player of Numans stature and experience in the club was incredible and Bain basically treated him like a teenager and told him he needed to take 70% wage cut which he was never goign to accept.
 
A cracking player, and a football icon. Mental that he was at Dundee, but we would never have had him if he didn’t. Still good value for the club, loved having him.
 
Martin Bain . . . again another Board member who was beholden for his place on the Board to David Murray. There are so many similarities - both in strengths and weaknesses - between David Murray and Donald Trump, it is spooky.
 
Neil McCann tells a good story about him. When wanting a pass rather than say 'here' or 'Neil!' he would just gesture and shout 'ha!'
 
Getting booted all over the park by the Cameroonians at the World Cup.

Being utterly amazed that he ended up playing for Dundee.

Surprised that he was still as good when we signed him.
Exactly this. One of my first football memories was that opening game in 1990. I'd never heard of him before but to this day I can remember him getting halved by the Cameroonians. Was delighted we signed him and then getting to watch him in person. Seems like a lifetime ago now but happy memories.
 
Exactly this. One of my first football memories was that opening game in 1990. I'd never heard of him before but to this day I can remember him getting halved by the Cameroonians. Was delighted we signed him and then getting to watch him in person. Seems like a lifetime ago now but happy memories.
Sure one of the times his boot flew about thirty yards in the air :))
 
Cracking player, cracking daughter.


101848gq7myq__zy1458267528654822.jpg
 
What was the deal with Numan? I remember he was willing to take a wage reduction but he was offered something like a 70% cut? Is that right?

Numan had verbally agreed and shaken hands on a new contract that would have seen a significant cut to his existing wage (I think it was around 40% of a cut).

When he went to sign, the contract on the table was a cut of around 80%. Quite rightly, Numan told Bain to ram it.

We then went out and got Vanoli as a replacement, who as well as being crap, was probably on at least the same amount of money as Numan had been willing to agree.
 
A brilliant player even at the tail end of his career. How Dundee got him is anyone's guess but I bet they enjoyed it.
 
That is my strongest memory of him. He was running riot in the first 20 minutes of that Cup Final, then Sutton hit him with a forearm smash which deserved a red card, but Dallas (not for the first time) bottled it.

That assault effectively put him out of the 2002 World Cup Finals, but there was some delicious karma served up around 4:46 pm that day, when it was Sutton who failed to track Lovenkrands as he ran in to head home the winner from Neil McCann's cross.

I remember it well. He was on the edge of the Argentinian team, if not already selected, and this put him out through injury. Used to see him around the West End. Classy player.
 
Was in the same lift as him in 90 when Argentina played Scotland at Hampden, think we won 1-0. My sister got married that day and stayed in the same hotel as the Argies.
 
Getting booted all over the park by the Cameroonians at the World Cup.

Being utterly amazed that he ended up playing for Dundee.

Surprised that he was still as good when we signed him.
I worked in Dundee in the early 2000's and his signed picture was up in a lot of pubs even then. I think The Club Bar still have one up just now.
 
Back
Top