View source for Sonny Anderson

{{short description|Brazilian footballer}}
{{Distinguish|Sunny Anderson}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Sonny Anderson
| image = Sonny Anderson - Portrait 2022.jpg
| caption = 
| fullname = Anderson da Silva
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1970|9|19}}
| birth_place = [[Goiatuba]], Brazil
| height = 1.81m
| position = [[Striker (association football)|Striker]]
| currentclub = 
| youthyears1 = 1987 | youthclubs1 = [[Esporte Clube XV de Novembro (Jaú)|XV de Jaú]]
| years1 = 1988–1991 | clubs1 = [[CR Vasco da Gama|Vasco da Gama]] | caps1 = 42 | goals1 = 1
| years2 = 1992 | clubs2 = [[Guarani FC|Guarani]] | caps2 = 18 | goals2 = 4
| years3 = 1992–1994 | clubs3 = [[Servette FC|Servette]] | caps3 = 52 | goals3 = 31
| years4 = 1994 | clubs4 = [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]] | caps4 = 20 | goals4 = 16
| years5 = 1994–1997 | clubs5 = [[AS Monaco FC|Monaco]] | caps5 = 91 | goals5 = 51
| years6 = 1997–1999 | clubs6 = [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] | caps6 = 47 | goals6 = 16
| years7 = 1999–2003 | clubs7 = [[Olympique Lyonnais|Lyon]] | caps7 = 110 | goals7 = 71
| years8 = 2003–2004 | clubs8 = [[Villarreal CF|Villarreal]] | caps8 = 38 | goals8 = 13
| years9 = 2004–2005 | clubs9 = [[Al-Rayyan SC|Al-Rayyan]] | caps9 = 20 | goals9 = 24
| years10 = 2005–2006 | clubs10 = [[Al-Gharafa Sports Club|Al-Gharafa]] | caps10 = 19 | goals10 = 6
| totalcaps = 457 | totalgoals = 231
| nationalyears1 = 1987 | nationalteam1 = [[Brazil national under-17 football team|Brazil U17]] | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 0 
| nationalyears2 = 1989 | nationalteam2 = [[Brazil national under-20 football team|Brazil U20]] | nationalcaps2 = 6 | nationalgoals2 = 3
| nationalyears3 = 1997–2001 | nationalteam3 = [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] | nationalcaps3 = 6 | nationalgoals3 = 1
| manageryears1 = 2011 | managerclubs1 = [[Neuchâtel Xamax]] 
}}
'''Anderson da Silva''' (born 19 September 1970), better known as '''Sonny Anderson''', is a Brazilian former professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[striker (association football)|striker]]. A prolific goalscorer at the club level, he was best known for his spells with [[Olympique Lyonnais|Lyon]], [[AS Monaco FC|Monaco]] (he played most of his abroad career in France, amassing [[Ligue 1]] totals of 221 matches and 138 goals) and [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]]. 

He participated with [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] in the [[2001 FIFA Confederations Cup|2001 Confederations Cup]], and won a total of six [[Cap (sport)|caps]] for his country, scoring one goal.

==Club career==
Born in [[Goiatuba]], [[Goiás]], Anderson started playing professionally with [[CR Vasco da Gama]], but failed to make an early impression. After failing to score in 18 matches in his last year, he moved to [[Guarani FC|Guarani]].

Anderson's first abroad experience came with [[Servette FC]], and his impact was instant, scoring 18 goals in [[1992–93 in Swiss football|his first season]] then helping the club to the [[Swiss Super League|national league]] in [[1993–94 in Swiss football|the following]] by netting 11 in just the first half of the campaign, as he left in January 1994 to [[Olympique de Marseille]].

After six months, with ''L'OM'' [[1993–94 French Division 1|relegated due to a bribery scandal]], Anderson moved to fellow [[Ligue 1|Division 1]] side [[AS Monaco FC]], scoring at an equally impressive pace and winning team ([[1996–97 French Division 1|1997 league]]) and individual accolades alike.

In 1997, Anderson joined [[FC Barcelona]]: having to battle for first-choice status with the likes of [[Luis Enrique]] and [[Patrick Kluivert]], he fared well, scoring ten times in [[La Liga]] alone in [[1997–98 La Liga|his first season]], as the [[Catalonia|Catalans]] won [[Double (association football)|the double]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sport.es/es/noticias/copa-del-rey/copa-hesp-del-doblete-van-gaal-3241791|title=La Copa de Hesp y del doblete de Van Gaal|trans-title=The Cup of Hesp and Van Gaal's double|newspaper=[[Sport (Spanish newspaper)|Sport]]|language=es|date=4 April 2014|access-date=20 October 2015}}</ref> In his second year, which included some run-ins with manager [[Louis van Gaal]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/1998/febrero/01/deportes/vangaal.html|title=Látigo para Stoichkov y Anderson|trans-title=Stoichkov and Anderson get the whip|newspaper=[[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]]|language=es|date=1 February 1998|access-date=20 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/the-van-gaal-dossier/index.html|title=The van Gaal dossier|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=15 August 2014|access-date=20 October 2015}}</ref> he played less, which prompted a return to France with rising [[Olympique Lyonnais]], for approximately [[Euro|€]]18 million. He would be a very important attacking figure as the team won the first two of seven consecutive national championships.

Aged 33, [[free agent]] Anderson returned to Spain with [[Villarreal CF]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0193-0e6ab16039cd-1f76d2074bec-1000--sonny-delight-for-villarreal/|title=Sonny delight for Villarreal|publisher=UEFA|date=9 July 2003|access-date=20 October 2015}}</ref> In [[2003–04 La Liga|his only full campaign]] he scored 12 times, including against [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]] (1–0, after only two minutes [[Substitute (association football)|on the pitch]]), former club Barcelona (2–1, in [[last minute goal|the 89th minute]]) and [[Valencia CF]] (1–0), while also helping the ''Yellow Submarine'' to [[2003–04 UEFA Cup|the semifinals]] of the [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]].<ref>[http://www.uefa.com/competitions/uefacup/history/season=2003/round=1722/match=75055/report=rp.html Villarreal end Celtic challenge]{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}; UEFA, 14 April 2004</ref>

After being instrumental in Villarreal's [[2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup]] win,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/01a0-0e6afe973670-c1253d2c1e97-1000--anderson-fit-for-intertoto-mission/|title=Anderson fit for Intertoto mission|publisher=UEFA|date=10 August 2004|access-date=20 October 2015}}</ref> Anderson finished his career in [[Qatar]]. He then returned to Lyon, going on work with the team's strikers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fr.fifa.com/world-match-centre/news/newsid/609/497/index.html|title=Sonny Anderson: "A Lyon, c'est l'ère Benzema"|trans-title=Sonny Anderson: "At Lyon, it's the age of Benzema"|publisher=FIFA|language=fr|date=1 October 2007|access-date=20 October 2015}}{{dead link|date=October 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

In June 2007, Anderson played a [[Testimonial match|farewell match]] at the [[Stade de Gerland]], in a match facing his friends and the [[2001–02 French Division 1|2002 French champions]]. Four years later he rescinded his link with Lyon and started a coaching career, joining [[Neuchâtel Xamax]] in Switzerland.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.leprogres.fr/football/2011/06/02/lyon-sonny-anderson-prend-la-direction-de-neuchatel-xamax|title=Football – Ligue 1. OL: Sonny Anderson prend la direction de Neuchâtel Xamax|trans-title=Football – Ligue 1. OL: Sonny Anderson takes over at Neuchâtel Xamax|newspaper=[[Le Progrès]]|language=fr|date=2 June 2011|access-date=20 October 2015}}</ref> On 24 July, after only two league games, he was sacked.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121026114928/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/937201/neuchatel-xamax-sack-entire-staff---report?cc=5739 Neuchatel Xamax sack entire staff]; [[ESPN FC|ESPN Soccernet]], 25 July 2011</ref>

==International career==
Anderson could not translate his club success to the international front. He only won six [[Cap (sport)|caps]] for the [[Brazilian national football team|Brazil side]], the first coming in a friendly against [[South Korea national football team|South Korea]] on 11 August 1997, in which he scored his only international goal.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/995394 |title=SOUTH KOREA: BRAZIL SOCCER FRIENDLY |publisher=Reuters |date=11 August 1997 |access-date=23 October 2019 }}</ref> He was also a member of the team that took part at the [[2001 FIFA Confederations Cup]], and obtained his final international cap that same year.{{fact|date=April 2025}}

==Career statistics==

===Club===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ 
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
!colspan="2"|National cup
!colspan="2"|League cup
!colspan="2"|Continental
!colspan="2"|Other
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[Vasco da Gama|Vasco]]
|[[1988 Vasco da Gama|1988]]
|[[Campeonato Brasileiro Série A|Série A]]
|3||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||3||0
|-
|[[1989 Vasco da Gama|1989]]
|Série A
|9||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||9||0
|-
|[[1990 Vasco da Gama|1990]]
|Série A
|12||1||0||0||0||0||5||0||colspan="2"|—||17||1
|-
|[[1991 Vasco da Gama|1991]]
|Série A
|18||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||18||0
|-
!colspan="3"|total
!42!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!5!!0!!0!!0!!47!!1
|-
|rowspan="1"|[[Guarani FC|Guarani]]||[[1992 Série A|1992]]||rowspan="1"|[[Campeonato Brasileiro Série A|Série A]]||18||4||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||18||4
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Servette F.C.|Servette]]||[[1992–93 Nationalliga A|1992–93]]||[[Swiss Super League|Nationalliga A]]||35||20||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||35||20
|-
|[[1993–94 Nationalliga A|1993–94]]
|Nationalliga A||17||11||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||4{{efn|name=UC|Appearances in [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]]}}||2||colspan="2"|—||21||13
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!52||31||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||4||2||colspan="2"|—||56||33
|-
|[[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]]
|[[1993–94 French Division 1|1993–94]]
|[[Ligue 1|Division 1]]
|20||16||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||20||16
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[AS Monaco FC|Monaco]]
|[[1994–95 French Division 1|1994–95]]
|Division 1
|23||11||1||2||3||3||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||27||16
|-
|[[1995–96 French Division 1|1995–96]]
|Division 1
|34||21||1||0||2||1||2{{efn|name=UC|Appearances in [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]]}}||1||colspan="2"|—||39||23
|-
|[[1996–97 AS Monaco FC season|1996–97]]
|Division 1
|34||19||0||0||3||4||10{{efn|name=UC|Appearances in [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]]}}||4||colspan="2"|—||47||27
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!91||51||2||2||8||8||12||5||colspan="2"|—||113||66
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]]
|[[1997–98 FC Barcelona season|1997–98]]
|[[La Liga]]
|23||10||5||0||colspan="2"|—||5{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in [[UEFA Champions League]]}}||1||4{{efn|name=USC|Two appearances in [[UEFA Super Cup]], two appearances in [[Supercopa de España]]}}||0||37||11
|-
|[[1998–99 FC Barcelona season|1998–99]]
|La Liga
|24||6||1||0||colspan="2"|—||6{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in [[UEFA Champions League]]}}||4||colspan="2"|—||31||10
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!47||16||6||0||colspan="2"|—||11||5||4||0||68||21
|-
|rowspan="5"|[[Olympique Lyonnais|Lyon]]
|[[1999–2000 French Division 1|1999–2000]]
|Division 1
|32||23||2||0||3||2||8{{efn|name=UCC|Six appearances and three goals in [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]], two appearances in [[UEFA Champions League]]}}||3||colspan="2"|—||45||28
|-
|[[2000–01 French Division 1|2000–01]]
|Division 1
|29||22||4||2||3||2||14{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in [[UEFA Champions League]]}}||5||colspan="2"|—||50||31
|-
|[[2001–02 Olympique Lyonnais season|2001–02]]
|Division 1
|25||14||2||1||2||0||5{{efn|name=UCC1|Four appearances and three goals in [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]], one appearance in [[UEFA Champions League]]}}||3||colspan="2"|—||34||18
|-
|[[2002–03 Olympique Lyonnais season|2002–03]]
|Division 1
|24||12||0||0||0||0||7{{efn|name=UCC2|Six appearances and five goals in [[UEFA Champions League]], one appearance in [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]]}}||5||1{{efn|name=TC|Appearance in [[Trophée des Champions]]}}||0||32||17
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!110||71||8||3||8||4||34||16||1||0||161||94
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[Villarreal CF|Villarreal]]
|[[2003–04 La Liga|2003–04]]
|La Liga
|35||12||0||0||colspan="2"|—||18{{efn|name=UCI|Twelve appearances and six goals in [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]], six appearances and one goal in [[UEFA Intertoto Cup]]}}||7||colspan="2"|—||53||19
|-
|[[2004–05 La Liga|2004–05]]
|La Liga
|3||1||0||0||colspan="2"|—||7{{efn|name=IC|Seven appearances and four goals in [[UEFA Intertoto Cup]]}}||4||colspan="2"|—||10||5
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!38||13||0||0||colspan="2"|—||25||11||colspan="2"|—||63||24
|-
|[[Al-Rayyan SC|Al-Rayyan]]
|[[2004–05 Qatar Stars League|2004–05]]
|[[Qatar Stars League]]
|20||24||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||20||24
|-
|[[Al-Gharafa SC|Al-Gharafa]]
|[[2005–06 Qatar Stars League|2005–06]]
|Qatar Stars League
|19||6||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||19||6
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!457||233||16||5||16||12||91||39||5||0||585||289
|}

{{notelist}}

==Honours==
'''Vasco da Gama'''
*[[Campeonato Brasileiro Série A]]: [[1989 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A|1989]]

'''Servette'''
*[[Swiss Super League]]: [[1993–94 Nationalliga A|1993–94]]

'''Monaco'''
*[[Ligue 1]]: [[1996–97 French Division 1|1996–97]]

'''Barcelona'''
*[[La Liga]]: [[1997–98 La Liga|1997–98]], [[1998–99 La Liga|1998–99]]
*[[Copa del Rey]]: [[1997–98 Copa del Rey|1997–98]]
*[[UEFA Super Cup]]: [[1997 UEFA Super Cup|1997]]

'''Lyon'''
*Ligue 1: [[2001–02 French Division 1|2001–02]], [[2002–03 Ligue 1|2002–03]]
*[[Coupe de la Ligue]]: [[2001 Coupe de la Ligue Final|2000–01]]
*[[Trophée des Champions]]: [[2002 Trophée des Champions|2002]]

'''Villarreal'''
*[[UEFA Intertoto Cup]]: [[2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup|2003]], [[2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup|2004]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/IntertotoCup/FixturesResults/Round%3D1691/Match%3D73023/Report%3DMS.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031006115929/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/IntertotoCup/FixturesResults/Round%3D1691/Match%3D73023/Report%3DMS.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 October 2003 |title=Villarreal 0-0 Heerenveen (Aggregate: 2 - 1)|publisher=[[UEFA]] |access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/IntertotoCup/FixturesResults/Round%3D1960/Match%3D79341/Report%3DMS.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040829050035/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/IntertotoCup/FixturesResults/Round%3D1960/Match%3D79341/Report%3DMS.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=29 August 2004 |title=Atletico 2-0 Villarreal (Aggregate: 2 - 2)|publisher=[[UEFA]] |access-date=30 May 2020}}</ref>
'''Individual'''
*Swiss Super League Top Scorer: 1992–93
*Swiss Super League Best Foreign Player: 1992–93
*[[List of Ligue 1 top scorers|Ligue 1 Top Scorer]]: 1995–96, 1999–2000, 2000–01<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesf/frantops.html|title=France - Topscorers|website=RSSSF|access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref>
*Ligue 1 Étoile d'Or: 1995–96
*Ligue 1 [[Trophées UNFP du football|Best Player]]: 1996–97<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportpalmares.eu/Trophees-UNFP-Oscars-du-football.html |title= Palmarès Trophées UNFP - Oscars du football - Meilleur joueur de Ligue 1 |access-date=2 August 2017 |language=fr}}</ref>
*[[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]] Top Scorer: [[2003–04 UEFA Cup|2003–04]] (6 goals)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/ec/ec3tops.html|title=Fairs/UEFA Cup Topscorers|website=RSSSF|access-date=1 June 2020}}</ref>
*[[Qatar Stars League]] Top Scorer: 2004–05 (24 goals)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesq/qattops.html|title=Qatar - List of Topscorers|website=[[RSSSF]]|access-date=11 August 2015}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{leqstat|4023}}
*{{BDFutbol|2521}}
*{{NFT|11976}}
*{{FIFA|183969}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010504233942/http://sonnyanderson.club-ol.com/brasil/mon_parcours/palmares_et_stats.htm Official website (archived)] {{in lang|fr}}

{{Brazil squad 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards
| bg = gold
| fg = navy
| list1 = 
{{UEFA Europa League top scorers}}
{{Ligue 1 top scorers}}
{{Swiss Super League top scorers}}
{{Swiss Footballer of the Year}}
{{Ligue 1 Player of the Year}}
{{Qatar Stars League top scorers}}
}}
{{Neuchâtel Xamax managers}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sonny Anderson}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Goiás]]
[[Category:Brazilian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Campeonato Brasileiro Série A players]]
[[Category:CR Vasco da Gama players]]
[[Category:Guarani FC players]]
[[Category:Swiss Super League players]]
[[Category:Servette FC players]]
[[Category:Ligue 1 players]]
[[Category:Olympique de Marseille players]]
[[Category:AS Monaco FC players]]
[[Category:Olympique Lyonnais players]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:FC Barcelona players]]
[[Category:Villarreal CF players]]
[[Category:Qatar Stars League players]]
[[Category:Al-Rayyan SC players]]
[[Category:Al-Gharafa SC players]]
[[Category:Brazil men's youth international footballers]]
[[Category:Brazil men's under-20 international footballers]]
[[Category:Brazil men's international footballers]]
[[Category:2001 FIFA Confederations Cup players]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Monaco]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Qatar]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in France]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Monaco]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Spain]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Qatar]]
[[Category:Brazilian football managers]]
[[Category:Brazilian expatriate football managers]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Neuchâtel Xamax FCS managers]]