Ânderson Polga

Ânderson Polga

Personal information
Full name	Ânderson Corrêa Polga
Date of birth	9 February 1979
Place of birth	Santiago, Brazil
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11 ^1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Youth career
	Grêmio
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
1999–2003	Grêmio	64	(5)
2003–2012	Sporting	221	(0)
2012	Corinthians	3	(0)
Total		288	(5)
National team
2002–2003	Brazil	11	(3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

For other Brazilian footballers nicknamed Anderson, see: Anderson (footballer).

Ânderson Corrêa Polga (born 9 February 1979) is a Brazilian retired footballer who played as a central defender.

He spent most of his professional career with Sporting in Portugal, appearing in 327 official games (four goals) and winning four major titles. He started playing for Grêmio.

Polga represented Brazil at the 2002 World Cup, winning the competition.

Club career

Groomed at Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, Polga was born in Santiago, Rio Grande do Sul, being an important defensive unit from early on and helping the club to two trophies in 2001: the Rio Grande do Sul State Championship and the Brazilian Cup.

In 2003 he moved to Sporting Clube de Portugal, becoming the first World Cup champion ever to play in the country. He quickly became a defensive stalwart for the Lisbon-based side, helping it to the UEFA Cup final in his third year – after a run-in with then coach José Peseiro, he was an unused substitute in the decisive game, a 1–3 defeat against PFC CSKA Moscow – as well as to four consecutive league runner-up finishes.

Not prone to score, Polga netted his first two goals for the Lions in the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League, in both group stage matches against FC Dynamo Kyiv.^[1][2] He played in 43 games in all competitions during the season and, in 2009–10, as Sporting could only finish fourth, he lost his starting position to Tonel – who previously had lost his to youth graduate Daniel Carriço – but still managed to appear in 25 official matches (1,983 minutes). He left in June 2012 at the age of 33, and returned to Brazil.

On 5 September 2012 Polga signed for Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, who had just sold Leandro Castán and loaned Marquinhos, both to A.S. Roma.^[3] At the end of the campaign, the club decided against renewing his contract.^[4]

International career

Polga made his debut for Brazil in 2002 against Bolivia, being subsequently summoned for that year's FIFA World Cup. He made two complete group stage appearances for the eventual champions.^[5]

After 2003, although he displayed good club form in several seasons, Polga was not recalled again.

Club statistics

^[6][7]

Club	Season	Série A		Série B		Série C		Copa do Brasil		Copa Libertadores		Copa Sudamericana		State League		Friendly		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Grêmio	1999	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	2000	18	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	18	3
	2001	17	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	17	0
	2002	19	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	19	1
	2003	9	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	1
Total		64	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	64	5
Club	Season	Primeira Liga		Segunda Liga		Taça de Portugal		Supertaça		UEFA Champions League		UEFA Europa League		State League		Others		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Sporting	2003–04	29	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	34	0
	2004–05	26	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	10	0	0	0	1	0	40	0
	2005–06	30	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	37	0
	2006–07	28	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	5	0	41	0
	2007–08	25	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	5	2	5	0	0	0	7	0	45	2
	2008–09	28	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	8	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	42	0
	2009–10	15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	5	1	0	0	2	0	26	1
	2010–11	20	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	8	1	0	0	8	0	39	1
	2011–12	20	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	0	0	13	0	0	0	8	0	47	0
Total		221	0	0	0	19	0	2	0	25	2	46	2	0	0	38	0	351	4
Club	Season	Série A		Série B		Série C		Copa do Brasil		Copa Libertadores		Copa Sudamericana		State League		Friendly		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Corinthians	2012	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
Total		3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
Total		288	5	0	0	19	0	2	0	25	2	46	2	0	0	38	0	409	8

Honours

Club

Grêmio

• Campeonato Gaúcho: 1999, 2001
• Copa do Brasil: 2001

Sporting

• Taça de Portugal: 2006–07, 2007–08; Runner-up 2011–12
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2007, 2008
• UEFA Cup: Runner-up 2004–05
• Taça da Liga: Runner-up 2007–08, 2008–09

Corinthians

• FIFA Club World Cup: 2012

Country

• FIFA World Cup: 2002

Individual

• Primeira Liga: Player of the Month: May 2007

References

1. Polga strike downs Dynamo; UEFA.com, 3 October 2007
2. Sporting bow out with a win; UEFA.com, 13 December 2007
3. Corinthians acerta contratação do zagueiro Anderson Polga (Corinthians agrees signing of stopper Anderson Polga); Lance Net, 5 September 2012 (Portuguese)
4. À espera de reforços para zaga, Corinthians não renovará com Polga (Waiting to strengthen back sector, Corinthians will not renew Polga); Surgiu, 9 December 2012 (Portuguese)
5. Ânderson Polga – FIFA competition record
6. "Ânderson Polga". Soccerway. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
7. "Anderson Polga". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 17 June 2015.

External links

• Ânderson Polga at footballzz.co.uk
• Ânderson Polga profile at ForaDeJogo
• PortuGOAL profile
• Ânderson Polga at National-Football-Teams.com