Gaizka Mendieta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gaizka Mendieta

Mendieta in a charity match in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Gaizka Mendieta Zabala
Date of birth	(1974-03-27) 27 March 1974 (age 51)
Place of birth	Bilbao, Spain
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	Castellón
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992	Castellón	16	(0)
1992–1994	Valencia B	34	(4)
1993–2001	Valencia	230	(44)
2001–2004	Lazio	20	(0)
2002–2003	→ Barcelona (loan)	33	(4)
2003–2004	→ Middlesbrough (loan)	31	(2)
2004–2008	Middlesbrough	31	(2)
Total		395	(56)
International career
1991	Spain U18	5	(0)
1993	Spain U20	3	(0)
1992–1996	Spain U21	13	(0)
1996	Spain U23	2	(0)
1999–2002	Spain	40	(8)
1998–2007	Basque Country	6	(1)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Spain UEFA European Under-21 Championship 1996 Spain Bronze 1994 France
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gaizka Mendieta Zabala, born on March 27, 1974, is a famous Spanish former football player. He used to play as a midfielder.

He was a very skilled player who could do many things on the field. He was good at creating goals for his teammates and scoring them himself. Gaizka played mostly for Valencia in Spain. With Valencia, he won three titles and reached the final of the UEFA Champions League twice, in 2000 and 2001. He was even named the "European Midfielder of the Season" in both of those years!

Later in his career, he played for Middlesbrough in England. Over ten seasons in Spain's top league, La Liga, he played 263 games and scored 48 goals. Mendieta also played 40 times for the Spanish national team, representing his country in major tournaments like Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out in Spain

Gaizka Mendieta was born in Bilbao, in the Basque Country region of Spain. He started his professional football journey very young, at just 17 years old, with CD Castellón. At first, he mostly played as a defender.

After only one season, he moved to Valencia CF, a bigger club in Spain's top league, La Liga. For his first year at Valencia, he mostly played for the reserve team. He made his first-team debut on June 13, 1993. By the 1995–96 season, he was a regular player, helping Valencia finish second in the league.

Mendieta playing in 1995

Becoming a Star at Valencia

The 1997–98 season was a big turning point for Mendieta. Under a new coach, Claudio Ranieri, he started playing in the middle of the field. This change helped him shine! He played 30 league games and scored ten goals that season. Soon after, he made his debut for the Spanish national team.

In June 1999, he won his first major trophy with Valencia, the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup). He scored important goals against teams like FC Barcelona and Real Madrid on the way to the final. In the final match against Atlético Madrid, he scored an amazing goal: he controlled the ball with his chest, flicked it over his head and two defenders, then turned and volleyed it into the net!

Mendieta had an even better year in the 1999–2000 season. He helped Valencia win the Supercopa de España (Spanish Super Cup) and scored a career-high 13 goals in the league. But their biggest achievement was reaching the final of the UEFA Champions League, Europe's biggest club competition. They lost to Real Madrid, but Mendieta was still recognized as the "European Midfielder of the Season."

Valencia reached the Champions League final again the very next year, in 2001. This time, they lost to FC Bayern Munich after a penalty shootout. Mendieta scored an early penalty in the game and also scored in the shootout. For the second year in a row, he was named "UEFA Best Midfielder of the Year."

Playing Abroad

After his amazing time at Valencia, Mendieta was one of the most wanted players in 2001. He moved to the Italian club SS Lazio for a very large transfer fee. However, he didn't play as well in Italy and only stayed for one year.

In the 2002–03 season, Mendieta was loaned to FC Barcelona in Spain. He played in most of their games, but the team finished sixth in the league. After that, he moved to Middlesbrough F.C. in England, choosing them over other Spanish clubs because he wanted to play in the Premier League.

Success with Middlesbrough

In his first season at Middlesbrough (2003–04), Mendieta helped the team win the Football League Cup. This was a huge moment for the club, as it was their first major trophy ever! In July 2004, his move to Middlesbrough became permanent.

Towards the end of his career, Mendieta faced several injuries. This meant he didn't play as much and often started games from the substitutes bench. He played his last game on December 26, 2006.

On December 5, 2007, Mendieta announced he would retire from professional football when his contract with Middlesbrough ended in May 2008. He officially retired on May 13, 2008, after a successful 17-year career. After retiring, he settled with his family near Middlesbrough. He has also shown interest in becoming a football manager.

International Career

In 1996, Mendieta was part of the Spanish Under-21 team that finished as runners-up in the UEFA European Championship.

He made his debut for the senior Spanish team on March 27, 1999. He came on as a substitute in a big 9–0 win against Austria during the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2000. He was chosen for the Euro 2000 tournament, where Spain reached the quarter-finals.

Even though he wasn't playing his best at Lazio, Mendieta was still picked for the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad. He scored one goal in three matches for Spain, helping them reach the quarter-finals. His last game for Spain was a friendly match against Bulgaria in Granada, a few months after the World Cup. He earned a total of 40 caps (appearances) for his country.

Mendieta also played and scored for the unofficial Basque Country regional team.

Beyond the Pitch

Mendieta at a concert in 2015

Mendieta was sponsored by the sportswear company Nike. He even appeared in their commercials! One famous commercial was called "Secret Tournament" (also known as "Scorpion KO"), directed by Terry Gilliam. In it, he starred alongside other football legends like Luís Figo, Thierry Henry, and Ronaldo.

After retiring from playing, Mendieta also worked as a football expert, or pundit, for Sky Sports television in the UK, where he talked about Spanish football.

Personal Life and Interests

Gaizka Mendieta's father, Andrés, was also a professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Gaizka grew up in the region where his father played, which is why he started his youth career at Castellón.

Interestingly, Gaizka was a very talented athlete when he was younger. He was so good at middle-distance running that he almost chose that sport over football!

Mendieta is also a big fan of music, especially DJing. He even appeared on stage at the Benicàssim festival in 2015 with the band Los Planetas. One of their songs, "Un buen día," even mentions him in its lyrics!

He once said that his football hero when he was growing up was Ruud Gullit, a Dutch player known for his unique style.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Goals

Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mendieta goal.

List of international goals scored by Gaizka Mendieta

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	5 June 1999	El Madrigal, Villarreal, Spain	San Marino	9–0	9–0	UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying
2	7 June 2000	Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg	Luxembourg	1–0	1–0	Friendly
3	21 June 2000	Jan Breydel, Bruges, Belgium	Yugoslavia	3–3	4–3	UEFA Euro 2000
4	25 June 2000	Jan Breydel, Bruges, Belgium	France	1–1	1–2	UEFA Euro 2000
5	24 March 2001	José Rico Pérez, Alicante, Spain	Liechtenstein	4–0	5–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
6				5–0
7	1 September 2001	Mestalla, Valencia, Spain	Austria	4–0	4–0	2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
8	12 June 2002	Daegu World Cup, Daegu, South Korea	South Africa	2–1	3–2	2002 FIFA World Cup

Honours and Awards

Valencia

• Copa del Rey: 1998–99
• Supercopa de España: 1999
• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1998
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 1999–2000, 2000–01

Middlesbrough

• Football League Cup: 2003–04
• UEFA Cup runner-up: 2005–06

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 1996; Third place 1994

Individual Awards

• UEFA Club Football Awards: Best Midfielder 1999–2000, 2000–01
• ESM Team of the Season: 2000–01

See also

In Spanish: Gaizka Mendieta para niños