Tiago Mendes facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Cardoso and the second or paternal family name is Mendes.

Quick facts for kids
Tiago

Tiago as an Atlético Madrid player in 2013

Personal information

Full name

Tiago Cardoso Mendes

Date of birth

2 May 1981 (age 44)

Place of birth

Viana do Castelo, Portugal

Height

1.83 m

Playing position

Midfielder

Youth career

1991–1995

Vianense

1996–1997

Âncora-Praia

1997–1999

Braga

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

1999–2001

Braga B

(0)

1999–2002

Braga

(3)

2002–2004

Benfica

(19)

2004–2005

Chelsea

(4)

2005–2007

Lyon

(9)

2007–2011

Juventus

(0)

2010–2011

→ Atlético Madrid (loan)

(6)

2011–2017

Atlético Madrid

126

(11)

Total

457

(52)

National team

2000–2002

Portugal U21

(3)

2002–2015

Portugal

(3)

Teams managed

2017–2018

Atlético Madrid (assistant)

2020

Vitória Guimarães

Honours


Men's football
Representing Portugal
UEFA European Championship
	2004 Portugal

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Tiago Cardoso Mendes (born on May 2, 1981), known simply as Tiago, is a former Portuguese footballer. He played as a midfielder, a player who helps both attack and defense.

Tiago played professionally in five of Europe's biggest football leagues: Portugal, England, France, Italy, and Spain. He spent eight seasons with Atlético Madrid, where he won five major titles. These included the 2013–14 La Liga (Spanish league) and the 2012 Europa League.

He also played for the Portugal national team 66 times. Tiago represented his country in two World Cups and Euro 2004. After retiring as a player, he worked briefly as a manager.

Tiago's Club Career
Tiago's International Career
Tiago's Coaching Career
Tiago's Style of Play
Tiago's Honours and Achievements
Images for kids
See also

Tiago's Club Career

Playing in Portugal

Tiago was born in Viana do Castelo, Portugal. He first became well-known at S.C. Braga. He started playing for their main team at just 18 years old. In 2001, he played 27 games and helped Braga finish fourth in the league. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup.

In late 2001, Tiago moved to the big club S.L. Benfica. Two of his Braga teammates also joined him. In his first full season, he scored 13 goals, which was his best ever. He helped Benfica finish second in the Primeira Liga. The next year, he won the Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup) with Benfica.

Playing for Chelsea

Tiago joined Chelsea in England on July 20, 2004. He was one of the first players signed by manager José Mourinho. Even though he missed the first game, he quickly became an important player. He scored in his first away game against Crystal Palace. He also scored a great long-range goal against Manchester United. Chelsea won the league title that season.

Tiago played regularly for Chelsea, missing only four league games. He played 51 games in total and scored four goals. Chelsea also won the Football League Cup that season. However, in the next season, Michael Essien joined Chelsea. This meant Tiago had fewer chances to play. During his time at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea lost only one league game when he played.

Playing for Lyon

Tiago playing for Lyon in 2007

In August 2005, Tiago moved to Lyon in France. He signed a four-year contract. He usually played as a defensive midfielder. He played very well for Lyon, scoring seven goals in 37 games. He scored two goals against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League. This helped Lyon reach the quarter-finals. He also scored the winning goal against Troyes AC. Lyon won their fifth straight Ligue 1 title that season.

The next season, Tiago became even more important for Lyon. He won his second league title with the club. He also helped them reach the final of the Coupe de la Ligue, but they lost. Overall, he scored six goals in 38 matches that season.

Playing for Juventus

On June 17, 2007, Tiago left Lyon to join Juventus FC in Italy. However, his first season in Italy was difficult. Some people even called him one of the biggest "flops" (disappointments) of the season.

Tiago with Juventus in 2009

In the next season, Tiago had a chance to return to England on loan to Everton. Juventus agreed, but Tiago decided not to go. He eventually started playing more for Juventus. But in November 2008, he got a serious knee injury in a game against Inter Milan. This kept him out of action for almost two months.

When Tiago returned, he found it hard to get back into the starting team. Other midfielders were preferred. He did get back into the team later due to injuries to other players. However, he received a red card in a big game against Inter Milan. The first half of the 2009-10 season was also tough for Tiago. New midfielders arrived, and he played very few games.

Playing for Atlético Madrid

On January 8, 2010, Tiago joined Atlético Madrid in Spain on loan. He scored his first league goal in almost three years against RC Celta de Vigo. He slowly became a regular starter for Atlético. He also played with his former Benfica teammate Simão Sabrosa again.

Tiago helped Atlético reach the Spanish Cup final. He then extended his loan with Juventus. He continued to play a lot for Atlético. He scored four goals in the Spanish league, including two goals with his head against Málaga CF.

Tiago (right) in action against Real Madrid, in 2013

On July 20, 2011, Tiago signed a permanent two-year deal with Atlético. He was a key player when the team reached the Europa League final. He played mostly as a starter under coach Diego Simeone. However, he missed the final game because he was sent off in the semi-final.

On July 21, 2014, Tiago, at 33 years old, signed a new contract with Atlético for two more seasons. He scored a goal against Real Madrid in a 2-1 win. In another game against Real Madrid, he scored the first goal in a big 4-0 victory.

On November 28, 2015, Tiago suffered a broken bone in his right leg during a league game. This injury kept him out for several months. He left Atlético Madrid at the end of the 2016-17 season. He played a total of 229 games and scored 19 goals for the club during his two spells.

Tiago's International Career

Tiago playing for Portugal against Italy in 2015

Tiago played for Portugal's youth teams before making his senior debut. His first game for the senior national team was in November 2002 against Scotland. He became a regular player and was chosen for UEFA Euro 2004, but he did not play in the final matches.

His strong performances for Lyon helped him keep his place in Portugal's midfield. He helped the national team qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played in five games at the tournament in Germany, where Portugal reached the semi-finals.

Tiago scored his first goal for Portugal on March 28, 2007, against Serbia. However, he was not chosen for the Euro 2008 squad.

Tiago was selected for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He replaced another player in the first game. In the next game, he scored two goals, including one with his head, in a 7-0 win against North Korea.

After the World Cup, Tiago decided to stop playing for the national team. He said it was for personal reasons and to give younger players a chance. He had played 58 games and scored three goals for Portugal. However, on October 3, 2014, he returned to the national team after almost four years. He was called up by the new manager, Fernando Santos. He was sent off in a qualifying match against Armenia in 2015. He was not chosen for the finals because he had not fully recovered from his broken leg.

Tiago's Coaching Career

After he stopped playing football, Tiago worked as an assistant coach for his former manager, Diego Simeone, at Atlético Madrid for one year. In June 2019, he returned to the Portuguese national team setup. He worked with different age groups, from under-15s to under-20s.

Tiago got his first job as a head coach on July 28, 2020. He signed a two-year contract with Vitória de Guimarães in Portugal. He even signed his former international teammate Ricardo Quaresma to play for the team. In his first game as manager, his team lost 1-0.

Tiago resigned from his coaching role on October 8, 2020. He had managed the team for only three games, winning one, drawing one, and losing one.

Tiago's Style of Play

Tiago was a very flexible defensive or central midfielder. He was known for his good vision and overall skills. People especially knew him for his hard work, determination, and ability to win the ball back from opponents. He was also good at passing the ball accurately after getting it back. These qualities earned him the nickname "the washing machine" when he played for Lyon.