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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Aug 2003 | Leicester City v Middlesbrough | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 30 Aug 2003 | Middlesbrough v Leeds United | L | 2-3 | Premier League | |
| 13 Sep 2003 | Bolton Wanderers v Middlesbrough | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 05 Oct 2003 | Middlesbrough v Chelsea | L | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 18 Oct 2003 | Middlesbrough v Newcastle United | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 26 Oct 2003 | Tottenham Hotspur v Middlesbrough | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 29 Oct 2003 | Wigan Athletic v Middlesbrough | W | 1-2 | League Cup | 3rd round |
| 01 Nov 2003 | Middlesbrough v Wolverhampton Wanderers | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 08 Nov 2003 | Aston Villa v Middlesbrough | W | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 22 Nov 2003 | Middlesbrough v Liverpool | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 30 Nov 2003 | Manchester City v Middlesbrough | W | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 03 Dec 2003 | Middlesbrough v Everton | W | 0-0 (5-4) | League Cup | 4th round |
| 06 Dec 2003 | Middlesbrough v Portsmouth | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 13 Dec 2003 | Middlesbrough v Charlton Athletic | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 17 Dec 2003 | Tottenham Hotspur v Middlesbrough | W | 1-1 (5-4) | League Cup | 5th round |
| 26 Dec 2003 | Blackburn Rovers v Middlesbrough | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 28 Dec 2003 | Middlesbrough v Manchester United | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 17 Jan 2004 | Middlesbrough v Leicester City | D | 3-3 | Premier League | |
| 20 Jan 2004 | Arsenal v Middlesbrough | W | 0-1 | League Cup | Semi-final 1st leg |
| 24 Jan 2004 | Arsenal v Middlesbrough | L | 4-1 | FA Cup | 4th round |
| 31 Jan 2004 | Leeds United v Middlesbrough | W | 0-3 | Premier League | |
| 03 Feb 2004 | Middlesbrough v Arsenal | W |
2-1 Agg: 3-1 |
League Cup | Semi-final 2nd leg |
| 07 Feb 2004 | Middlesbrough v Blackburn Rovers | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 11 Feb 2004 | Manchester United v Middlesbrough | W | 2-3 | Premier League | |
| 21 Feb 2004 | Newcastle United v Middlesbrough | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 29 Feb 2004 | Bolton Wanderers v Middlesbrough | W | 1-2 | League Cup | Final |
| 09 Mar 2004 | Middlesbrough v Tottenham Hotspur | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 13 Mar 2004 | Charlton Athletic v Middlesbrough | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 20 Mar 2004 | Middlesbrough v Birmingham City | W | 5-3 | Premier League | |
| 27 Mar 2004 | Everton v Middlesbrough | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 03 Apr 2004 | Middlesbrough v Bolton Wanderers | W | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 10 Apr 2004 | Chelsea v Middlesbrough | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 12 Apr 2004 | Middlesbrough v Southampton | W | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 17 Apr 2004 | Wolverhampton Wanderers v Middlesbrough | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 24 Apr 2004 | Middlesbrough v Aston Villa | L | 1-2 | Premier League | |
| 02 May 2004 | Liverpool v Middlesbrough | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 08 May 2004 | Middlesbrough v Manchester City | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 15 May 2004 | Portsmouth v Middlesbrough | L | 5-1 | Premier League | |
| 14 Aug 2004 | Middlesbrough v Newcastle United | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 22 Aug 2004 | Arsenal v Middlesbrough | L | 5-3 | Premier League | |
| 25 Aug 2004 | Fulham v Middlesbrough | W | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 28 Aug 2004 | Middlesbrough v Crystal Palace | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 03 Oct 2004 | Manchester United v Middlesbrough | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 16 Oct 2004 | Blackburn Rovers v Middlesbrough | W | 0-4 | Premier League | |
| 21 Oct 2004 | Egaleo v Middlesbrough | W | 0-1 | UEFA Cup | Group E |
| 24 Oct 2004 | Middlesbrough v Portsmouth | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 13 Aug 2005 | Middlesbrough v Liverpool | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 20 Aug 2005 | Tottenham Hotspur v Middlesbrough | L | 2-0 | Premier League | |
| 28 Aug 2005 | Middlesbrough v Charlton Athletic | L | 0-3 | Premier League | |
| 02 Oct 2005 | Aston Villa v Middlesbrough | W | 2-3 | Premier League | |
| 15 Oct 2005 | Middlesbrough v Portsmouth | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 20 Oct 2005 | Grasshoppers v Middlesbrough | W | 0-1 | UEFA Cup | Group D |
| 23 Oct 2005 | West Ham United v Middlesbrough | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 29 Oct 2005 | Middlesbrough v Manchester United | W | 4-1 | Premier League | |
| 03 Nov 2005 | Middlesbrough v Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk | W | 3-0 | UEFA Cup | Group D |
| 06 Nov 2005 | Everton v Middlesbrough | L | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 26 Dec 2005 | Middlesbrough v Blackburn Rovers | L | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 31 Dec 2005 | Middlesbrough v Manchester City | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 02 Jan 2006 | Newcastle United v Middlesbrough | D | 2-2 | Premier League | |
| 07 Jan 2006 | Nuneaton Borough v Middlesbrough | D | 1-1 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 14 Jan 2006 | Arsenal v Middlesbrough | L | 7-0 | Premier League | |
| 17 Jan 2006 | Middlesbrough v Nuneaton Borough | W | 5-2 | FA Cup | 3rd round replay |
| 28 Jan 2006 | Coventry City v Middlesbrough | D | 1-1 | FA Cup | 4th round |
| 31 Jan 2006 | Sunderland v Middlesbrough | W | 0-3 | Premier League | |
| 04 Feb 2006 | Middlesbrough v Aston Villa | L | 0-4 | Premier League | |
| 08 Feb 2006 | Middlesbrough v Coventry City | W | 1-0 | FA Cup | 4th round replay |
| 11 Feb 2006 | Middlesbrough v Chelsea | W | 3-0 | Premier League | |
| 19 Feb 2006 | Preston North End v Middlesbrough | W | 0-2 | FA Cup | 5th round |
| 23 Feb 2006 | Middlesbrough v VfB Stuttgart | L |
0-1 Agg: 2-2 |
UEFA Cup | Round of 32 2nd leg |
| 26 Feb 2006 | West Bromwich Albion v Middlesbrough | W | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 04 Mar 2006 | Middlesbrough v Birmingham City | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 07 Mar 2006 | Middlesbrough v AS Roma | W | 1-0 | UEFA Cup | Round of 16 1st leg |
| 15 Mar 2006 | AS Roma v Middlesbrough | L |
2-1 Agg: 2-2 |
UEFA Cup | Round of 16 2nd leg |
| 23 Mar 2006 | Charlton Athletic v Middlesbrough | D | 0-0 | FA Cup | 6th round |
| 30 Mar 2006 | FC Basel v Middlesbrough | L | 2-0 | UEFA Cup | Quarter-final 1st leg |
| 19 Aug 2006 | Reading v Middlesbrough | L | 3-2 | Premier League | |
| 23 Aug 2006 | Middlesbrough v Chelsea | W | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 28 Aug 2006 | Middlesbrough v Portsmouth | L | 0-4 | Premier League | |
| 16 Sep 2006 | Bolton Wanderers v Middlesbrough | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 20 Sep 2006 | Middlesbrough v Notts County | L | 0-1 | League Cup | 2nd round |
| 23 Sep 2006 | Middlesbrough v Blackburn Rovers | L | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 30 Sep 2006 | Sheffield United v Middlesbrough | L | 2-1 | Premier League | |
| 26 Dec 2006 | Everton v Middlesbrough | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
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.