Mendieta
| Date of birth | 27 March 1974 |
| Place of birth | Bilbao |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Weight | 69 kg |
| Height | 1.73 m |
| Position | Midfielder |
Mendieta is a skilful midfield playmaker with great vision that is capable of scoring spectacular goals.
After beginning his club career with Castellon, he spent nine seasons with Valencia whom he joined in 1992.
He took two seasons to establish himself as a regular and was in the side that reached two successive European Champions League Finals.
He had won several Under-21 caps and played at won his first full cap for Spain in the 9-0 thrashing of Austria in March 1999 and made the 2000 European Championship Finals squad.
He made a big move to Italy to play for Lazio for £28million in the summer of 2001 but took time to settle.
He is a gifted midfielder with great touch and vision, rarely giving away possession.
Following his woes at Lazio, he wasn't selected for Spain's first two games in the 2002 World Cup finals, but made his mark by scoring from a free kick in their final Group B game - a 3-2 defeat of South Africa.
He then netted the winning penalty in the shoot-out with Ireland that put Spain through to the quarter-finals.
After a season on loan, he joined Middlesbrough in July 2004 with a four-year contract.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castellon | 00 Jul 1991 | 00 Jul 1992 | |
| Valencia | 00 Jul 1992 | 20 Jul 2001 | |
| Lazio | 20 Jul 2001 | 30 Jun 2004 | |
| Barcelona | 20 Jul 2002 | 01 Jul 2003 | L |
| Middlesbrough | 21 Aug 2003 | 31 May 2004 | L |
| Middlesbrough | 01 Jul 2004 | 30 Jun 2008 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-99 | Valencia | UEFA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Valencia | UEFA Champions League | 3 | 1 |
2
|
||
| 2000-01 | Valencia | Primera Liga | 31 | 10 |
5
|
||
| 2000-01 | Valencia | UEFA Champions League | 16 | 4 |
5
|
||
| 2001-02 | Lazio | Serie A | 12 | 8 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Lazio | UEFA Champions League | 7 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Barcelona | Primera Liga | 29 | 4 |
4 |
6
|
|
| 2002-03 | Barcelona | UEFA Champions League | 10 | 5 |
2 |
1
|
|
| 2003-04 | Middlesbrough | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Middlesbrough | League Cup | 6 | 1 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Middlesbrough | Premier League | 30 | 1 |
2 |
3
|
|
| 2004-05 | Middlesbrough | Premier League | 7 |
1
|
|||
| 2004-05 | Middlesbrough | UEFA Cup | 1 |
||||
| 2005-06 | Middlesbrough | FA Cup | 6 | 1 |
|||
| 2005-06 | Middlesbrough | Premier League | 15 | 2 |
2 |
2
|
|
| 2005-06 | Middlesbrough | UEFA Cup | 6 |
1
|
|||
| 2006-07 | Middlesbrough | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Middlesbrough | Premier League | 4 | 3 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1998 | Liverpool v Valencia | D | 0-0 | UEFA Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 03 Nov 1998 | Valencia v Liverpool | D |
2-2 Agg: 2-2 |
UEFA Cup | 2nd round 2nd leg |
| 15 Sep 1999 | Valencia v Rangers | W | 2-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group F |
| 26 Oct 1999 | Rangers v Valencia | W | 1-2 | UEFA Champions League | Group F |
| 08 Dec 1999 | Manchester United v Valencia | L | 3-0 | UEFA Champions League | Phase 2 group B |
| 09 Aug 2000 | FC Tirol Milch Innsbruck v Valencia | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | 3rd round 1st leg |
| 23 Aug 2000 | Valencia v FC Tirol Milch Innsbruck | W |
4-1 Agg: 4-1 |
UEFA Champions League | 3rd round 2nd leg |
| 09 Sep 2000 | Real Madrid v Valencia | L | 2-1 | Primera Liga | 1 |
| 12 Sep 2000 | Valencia v Olympiakos | W | 2-1 | UEFA Champions League | Group C |
| 16 Sep 2000 | Valencia v Real Mallorca | W | 4-0 | Primera Liga | 2 |
| 20 Sep 2000 | Heerenveen v Valencia | W | 0-1 | UEFA Champions League | Group C |
| 24 Sep 2000 | Numancia v Valencia | W | 0-3 | Primera Liga | 3 |
| 27 Sep 2000 | Valencia v Olympique Lyonnais | W | 1-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group C |
| 01 Oct 2000 | Valencia v Las Palmas | W | 5-1 | Primera Liga | 4 |
| 14 Oct 2000 | Villarreal v Valencia | D | 1-1 | Primera Liga | 5 |
| 17 Oct 2000 | Olympique Lyonnais v Valencia | W | 1-2 | UEFA Champions League | Group C |
| 21 Oct 2000 | Valencia v Real Zaragoza | W | 1-0 | Primera Liga | 6 |
| 29 Oct 2000 | Osasuna v Valencia | W | 1-2 | Primera Liga | 7 |
| 01 Nov 2000 | Valencia v Celta Vigo | W | 1-0 | Primera Liga | 8 |
| 04 Nov 2000 | Español v Valencia | L | 1-0 | Primera Liga | 9 |
| 12 Nov 2000 | Valencia v Rayo Vallecano | D | 2-2 | Primera Liga | 10 |
| 18 Nov 2000 | Alavés v Valencia | D | 1-1 | Primera Liga | 11 |
| 21 Nov 2000 | Valencia v Sturm Graz | W | 2-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group A |
| 26 Nov 2000 | Valencia v Oviedo | W | 2-0 | Primera Liga | 12 |
| 06 Dec 2000 | Panathinaikos v Valencia | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group A |
| 09 Dec 2000 | Valencia v Real Sociedad | W | 2-0 | Primera Liga | 14 |
| 17 Dec 2000 | Valencia v Malaga | W | 2-0 | Primera Liga | 15 |
| 20 Dec 2000 | Athletic Bilbao v Valencia | D | 1-1 | Primera Liga | 16 |
| 07 Jan 2001 | Valencia v Racing Santander | W | 1-0 | Primera Liga | 17 |
| 13 Jan 2001 | Deportivo La Coruña v Valencia | L | 2-0 | Primera Liga | 18 |
| 20 Jan 2001 | Valencia v Barcelona | L | 0-1 | Primera Liga | 19 |
| 28 Jan 2001 | Valencia v Real Madrid | L | 0-1 | Primera Liga | 20 |
| 04 Feb 2001 | Real Mallorca v Valencia | D | 2-2 | Primera Liga | 21 |
| 10 Feb 2001 | Valencia v Numancia | W | 3-0 | Primera Liga | 22 |
| 14 Feb 2001 | Valencia v Manchester United | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group A |
| 20 Feb 2001 | Manchester United v Valencia | D | 1-1 | UEFA Champions League | Group A |
| 25 Feb 2001 | Valencia v Villarreal | W | 3-1 | Primera Liga | 24 |
| 03 Mar 2001 | Real Zaragoza v Valencia | D | 1-1 | Primera Liga | 25 |
| 07 Mar 2001 | Sturm Graz v Valencia | W | 0-5 | UEFA Champions League | Group A |
| 10 Mar 2001 | Valencia v Osasuna | W | 1-0 | Primera Liga | 26 |
| 31 Mar 2001 | Valencia v Español | L | 0-1 | Primera Liga | 28 |
| 04 Apr 2001 | Arsenal v Valencia | L | 2-1 | UEFA Champions League | Quarter-final 1st leg |
| 07 Apr 2001 | Rayo Vallecano v Valencia | W | 1-4 | Primera Liga | 29 |
| 14 Apr 2001 | Valencia v Alavés | L | 1-2 | Primera Liga | 30 |
| 17 Apr 2001 | Valencia v Arsenal | W |
1-0 Agg: 2-2 |
UEFA Champions League | Quarter-final 2nd leg |
| 22 Apr 2001 | Oviedo v Valencia | D | 0-0 | Primera Liga | 31 |
| 28 Apr 2001 | Valencia v Valladolid | W | 1-0 | Primera Liga | 32 |
| 02 May 2001 | Leeds United v Valencia | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Semi-final 1st leg |
| 08 May 2001 | Valencia v Leeds United | W |
3-0 Agg: 3-0 |
UEFA Champions League | Semi-final 2nd leg |
| 13 May 2001 | Malaga v Valencia | L | 3-0 | Primera Liga | 34 |
| 23 May 2001 | Bayern München v Valencia | D | 1-1 | UEFA Champions League | Final |
| 27 May 2001 | Racing Santander v Valencia | D | 1-1 | Primera Liga | 36 |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | Spain | Olympics | 2 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Spain | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
| 1998-99 | Spain | UEFA European Championship | 2 |
1 |
|||
| 1999-00 | Spain | International Friendly | 2 | 5 |
1 |
||
| 1999-00 | Spain | UEFA European Championship | 3 | 4 |
2 |
||
| 2000-01 | Spain | FIFA World Cup | 5 | 2 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Spain | International Friendly | 5 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Spain | FIFA World Cup | 2 | 3 |
2 |
||
| 2001-02 | Spain | International Friendly | 1 | 2 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Spain | International Friendly | 3 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Spain | UEFA European Championship | 2 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jul 1996 | Spain v Saudi Arabia | W | 1-0 | Olympics | Finals Group B |
| 24 Jul 1996 | Spain v Australia | W | 3-2 | Olympics | Finals Group B |
| 27 Mar 1999 | Spain v Austria | W | 9-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 05 May 1999 | Spain v Croatia | W | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Jun 1999 | Spain v San Marino | W | 9-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 18 Aug 1999 | Poland v Spain | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Sep 1999 | Austria v Spain | W | 1-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 08 Sep 1999 | Spain v Cyprus | W | 8-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 10 Oct 1999 | Spain v Israel | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 13 Nov 1999 | Spain v Brazil | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Nov 1999 | Spain v Argentina | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 26 Jan 2000 | Spain v Poland | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 23 Feb 2000 | Croatia v Spain | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2000 | Sweden v Spain | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Jun 2000 | Luxembourg v Spain | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 13 Jun 2000 | Spain v Norway | L | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group C |
| 18 Jun 2000 | Slovenia v Spain | W | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group C |
| 21 Jun 2000 | Yugoslavia v Spain | W | 3-4 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group C |
| 25 Jun 2000 | France v Spain | L | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals quarter-final |
| 16 Aug 2000 | Germany v Spain | L | 4-1 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Sep 2000 | Bosnia and Herzegovina v Spain | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 07 Oct 2000 | Spain v Israel | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 11 Oct 2000 | Austria v Spain | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 15 Nov 2000 | Spain v Netherlands | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Feb 2001 | England v Spain | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 24 Mar 2001 | Spain v Liechtenstein | W | 5-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 28 Mar 2001 | Spain v France | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 25 Apr 2001 | Spain v Japan | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 2001 | Spain v Bosnia and Herzegovina | W | 4-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 01 Sep 2001 | Spain v Austria | W | 4-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 05 Sep 2001 | Liechtenstein v Spain | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 14 Nov 2001 | Spain v Mexico | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 13 Feb 2002 | Spain v Portugal | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Apr 2002 | Northern Ireland v Spain | W | 0-5 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Jun 2002 | South Africa v Spain | W | 2-3 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group B |
| 16 Jun 2002 | Spain v Republic of Ireland | W | 1-1 (3-2) | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round |
| 22 Jun 2002 | Korea Republic v Spain | L | 0-0 (3-5) | FIFA World Cup | Finals quarter-final |
| 21 Aug 2002 | Hungary v Spain | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Sep 2002 | Greece v Spain | W | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 12 Oct 2002 | Spain v Northern Ireland | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 16 Oct 2002 | Spain v Paraguay | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 20 Nov 2002 | Spain v Bulgaria | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.