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This is a Portuguese name; the first family name is Simões and the second is Caneira.

Marco António Simões Caneira (born 9 February 1979 in Sintra) is a Portuguese professional football defender, currently playing for Sporting Clube de Portugal.

He preferably plays as a central defender, but is equally at ease on the right or the left.

Club career

Caneira began his career at the Sporting Clube de Portugal youth system, eventually graduating to the senior squad. After signing a professional contract, he immediately went on loan to S.C. Beira-Mar.

Caneira, along with fellow Sporting players Paulo Costa, was then involved in a somewhat complicated 2000 transfer between F.C. Alverca, who had gained 50% of their rights, and F.C. Internazionale Milano, a move orchestrated by the players' agent, Paulo Barbosa. Caneira was immediately sent out to Reggina Calcio in co-ownership bid.^[1][2] After a season, he was sent from Inter to S.L. Benfica, on a two-year long loan.

After 2001–02, however, Caneira left for another loan spell, this time with Ligue 1 giants FC Girondins de Bordeaux, where he enjoyed a successful season. Indeed, at the end of his first season with Bordeaux, the club officially signed him from Inter, handing him a four-year contract.^[3] After his second season at Bordeaux, Caneira was loaned out again, this time to Valencia CF, which Bordeaux had faced twice in the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League.^[4] His move became permanent in summer 2005.^[5]

After one and a half seasons at Valencia, Caneira returned to Portugal and Sporting in January 2006,^[6] where he displayed consistent defensive performances, also scoring a rare goal against former owners Inter Milan in the Champions League, in a September 12 home win (1–0).^[7] In August 2007, although he had reached an agreement for a further five-year loan with the Lions,^[8] he returned to Quique Sánchez Flores's Valencia.

After appearing rarely on the second Valencia stint, Caneira returned for a third one with Sporting, for €1.5 million, signing a four-year contract on 25 June 2008.^[9]

International career

An international since 2002, Caneira was selected for the national team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but did not play.

Left out of the squad for UEFA Euro 2004, he returned for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, playing in Portugal's last group stage match against Mexico (2–1 win).

Honours

• Portuguese Cup: 2006–07
• UEFA Super Cup: 2004
• Spanish Cup: 2007–08

References

External links

• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• PortuGOAL profile
• Marco Caneira French league stats at lfp.fr (French)
• Stats at Liga de Fútbol Profesional (Spanish)
• BDFutbol profile
• NationalFootballTeams data
• Marco Caneira FIFA competition record

Portugal squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Baía • 2 J. Costa • 3 Xavier • 4 Caneira • 5 Couto • 6 Sousa • 7 Figo • 8 Pinto • 9 Pauleta • 10 Rui Costa • 11 Conceição • 12 Viana • 13 Andrade • 14 Barbosa • 15 Nélson • 16 Ricardo • 17 Bento • 18 Frechaut • 19 Capucho • 20 Petit • 21 Nuno Gomes • 22 Beto • 23 Rui Jorge • Coach: Oliveira

Portugal squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup Fourth Place 1 Ricardo • 2 Ferreira • 3 Caneira • 4 Costa • 5 Meira • 6 Costinha • 7 Figo • 8 Petit • 9 Pauleta • 10 Viana • 11 Simão • 12 Quim • 13 Miguel • 14 Valente • 15 Boa Morte • 16 Carvalho • 17 C. Ronaldo • 18 Maniche • 19 Tiago • 20 Deco • 21 Nuno Gomes • 22 Santos • 23 H. Postiga • Coach: Scolari