Gaizka Mendieta facts for kids

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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
Playing position	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)
National team
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)
Honours Men's football Representing  Spain UEFA European Under-21 Championship 1996 Spain Bronze 1994 France
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Gaizka Mendieta Zabala (born on 27 March 1974) is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder.

Mendieta was a very skilled player. He was good at creating goals for his teammates and scoring them himself. He played mostly for Valencia in Spain. With Valencia, he won three titles. He also reached the final of the Champions League twice. He was named the "European Midfielder of the Season" in both 2000 and 2001. He finished his career playing for Middlesbrough in England. In total, he played 263 games in La Liga (Spain's top league) and scored 48 goals.

Mendieta also played 40 times for the Spanish national team. He represented Spain in major tournaments like Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out at Valencia

Gaizka Mendieta was born in Bilbao, Basque Country. He started his professional football journey at just 17 years old. His first club was CD Castellón in the Segunda División (Spain's second division). He mainly played as a full-back at that time.

After one season, he moved to La Liga to play for Valencia CF. He joined Valencia for a transfer fee of €47.7 million. For most of his first year, he played for Valencia's reserve team. He made his first-team debut on 13 June 1993. In the 1995–96 season, he played 34 games. Valencia finished second that year, which was their best result since 1990.

Mendieta playing for Valencia in 1995

Becoming a Star Midfielder

The 1997–98 season was a big turning point for Mendieta. Under the new manager Claudio Ranieri, he moved to a central midfield position. He played 30 league matches and scored ten goals. Soon after, he made his debut for the Spanish national team.

In June 1999, he won his first trophy with Valencia. They beat Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup). Mendieta scored important goals during this cup run. He scored against Levante UD, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid. In the final, he scored a famous goal. He controlled a cross, flicked the ball over his head and two defenders, then volleyed it into the net.

Champions League Finals

Mendieta had an even better year in the 1999–2000 season. With Héctor Cúper as coach, he helped Valencia win the Supercopa de España. He also scored a career-high 13 goals in the league. Valencia's biggest achievement that season was reaching the Champions League final. They lost 3–0 to fellow Spanish team Real Madrid. Despite the loss, Mendieta was named the "European Midfielder of the Season."

Valencia reached the Champions League final again the next year. They lost once more, this time to FC Bayern Munich after a penalty shootout. Mendieta scored an early penalty in the game. He also scored his penalty in the shootout. For the second year in a row, he was named "UEFA Best Midfielder of the Year."

Playing in Italy and England

After his success at Valencia, Mendieta was a highly sought-after player. In 2001, he moved to Italian club SS Lazio for €47.7 million. This made him one of the most expensive players at the time. However, he did not perform as well as expected in Serie A. He only stayed in Rome for one year.

Mendieta then went on loan to FC Barcelona for the 2002–03 season. He played in most games, but Barcelona finished sixth in the league. After that, he moved to Middlesbrough in England. He chose this Premier League club because he wanted to play in England.

Success with Middlesbrough

In his first season at Middlesbrough, Mendieta helped the team win the Football League Cup. This was the club's first major trophy ever. In July 2004, his move to Middlesbrough became permanent.

In his final two years, Mendieta faced many injuries. He also struggled to regain his fitness. This meant he often sat on the substitutes bench. He played his last game on 26 December 2006.

On 5 December 2007, Mendieta announced he would retire from professional football. His contract with Middlesbrough ended in May 2008. This brought an end to his 17-year career. After retiring, he settled with his family near Middlesbrough.

International Career

In 1996, Mendieta was part of the Spain under-21 team. They finished as runners-up in the UEFA European Championship.

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

Even though he wasn't playing his best at Lazio, Mendieta was picked for the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad. He scored one goal in three matches during the tournament. His goal came in a 3–2 win against South Africa. Spain reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup. He played his last game for Spain in a friendly match in Granada. In total, he earned 40 caps (appearances) for his country.

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

Beyond Football

Mendieta at a concert (FIB, 2015)

Mendieta was sponsored by the sportswear company Nike. He appeared in their commercials. In a famous ad before the 2002 World Cup, he starred in a "Secret Tournament" commercial. He appeared alongside many famous footballers like Luís Figo and Ronaldinho.

After retiring, Mendieta also worked as a pundit. He provided commentary on Spanish football for Sky Sports television in the UK.

Personal Life

Gaizka Mendieta's father, Andrés, was also a footballer. He played as a goalkeeper. Andrés spent his final playing years at Castellón. Gaizka grew up in that region and came through Castellón's youth system.

Mendieta was a talented athlete when he was young. He almost chose middle-distance running as a career instead of football. He loves music and has a passion for DJing. In 2015, he even appeared on stage at the Benicàssim festival. He joined the band Los Planetas, who mentioned him in one of their songs.

Mendieta said that Ruud Gullit was his football hero when he was a teenager. He admired Gullit's unique playing style.

Career Statistics

Club

International

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

• 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