Tiago Mendes facts for kids
Tiago as an Atlético Madrid player in 2013
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tiago Cardoso Mendes | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 2 May 1981 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Viana do Castelo, Portugal | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1995 | Vianense | |||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Âncora-Praia | |||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Braga | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Braga B | 13 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | Braga | 62 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Benfica | 75 | (19) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Chelsea | 34 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Lyon | 56 | (9) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Juventus | 42 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | → Atlético Madrid (loan) | 49 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2017 | Atlético Madrid | 126 | (11) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 457 | (52) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Portugal U21 | 21 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2015 | Portugal | 66 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Atlético Madrid (assistant) | |||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Vitória Guimarães | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Tiago Cardoso Mendes (born on 2 May 1981), known simply as Tiago, is a Portuguese former footballer. He played as a midfielder, helping his teams control the middle of the field.
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.
Contents
Tiago's Club Journey
Starting in Portugal
Tiago was born in Viana do Castelo, Portugal. He first became well-known at S.C. Braga. He joined their main team at just 18 years old. In 2001, he played 27 games, helping Braga finish fourth in the league. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup.
In late 2001, Tiago's strong performances led him to join S.L. Benfica, a bigger Portuguese club. In his first full season, he scored 13 goals, helping Benfica finish second in the Primeira Liga. The next year, he won the Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup) with Benfica.
Playing for Chelsea
Tiago moved to Chelsea in England on 20 July 2004. He quickly became an important player for his new team. He scored in his first away game against Crystal Palace. He also scored a great long-range goal against Manchester United in May 2005.
Tiago played regularly for Chelsea, missing only four league games. He made 51 appearances in all competitions and scored four goals. Chelsea won the Premier League title and the Football League Cup that season. However, a new player, Michael Essien, joined Chelsea the next year. This meant Tiago had fewer chances to play.
Success with Lyon
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In August 2005, Tiago signed a four-year contract with Lyon in France. He usually played as a defensive midfielder. He played very well for Lyon, scoring seven goals in 37 games in his first season. He scored two goals against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League, helping Lyon reach the quarter-finals. Lyon also won their fifth straight Ligue 1 title that season.
The next season, Tiago played an even bigger role in Lyon's midfield. He won his second league title with Lyon. He also helped them reach the final of the Coupe de la Ligue, which they lost. Overall, he scored six goals in 38 matches that season.
Time at Juventus
On 22 June 2007, Tiago joined Juventus FC in Italy. His first season in Italy was difficult, and some people criticized his performances.
In 2008, Tiago had a chance to return to the Premier League with Everton. Juventus agreed to the loan deal, but Tiago decided not to go. He eventually started playing more for Juventus. However, in November 2008, he suffered a serious knee injury against Inter Milan. This kept him out of action for almost two months.
When he returned, other midfielders were preferred over him. He did get back into the starting team later due to injuries to other players. However, he received a red card in a big game against Inter Milan in April. The next season, new midfielders joined Juventus, and Tiago's playing time was limited again.
Years at Atlético Madrid
On 8 January 2010, Tiago joined Atlético Madrid in Spain on loan. He scored his first league goal in nearly three years in January. He slowly became a regular starter for Atlético. He also reunited with his former Benfica teammate Simão Sabrosa.
After helping Atlético reach the Spanish Cup final, his loan was extended. He played many games and scored four goals in La Liga. This included two goals in a 3–0 win against Málaga CF.
On 20 July 2011, Tiago signed a permanent two-year deal with Atlético. He was a key player as the team reached the Europa League final. He missed the final match because he received a red card in the semi-final.
On 21 July 2014, Tiago renewed his contract with Atlético for two more seasons. In September, he scored a header against Real Madrid in a 2–1 away win. In February 2015, he scored again in a 4–0 win against Real Madrid.
On 28 November 2015, Tiago suffered a broken bone in his right leg during a league game. This injury kept him out of play 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.
Tiago's International Career
Tiago played for Portugal's youth teams before making his senior debut in November 2002. This was in a friendly game against Scotland. He became a regular player for the national team. He was chosen for the squad for UEFA Euro 2004, but he did not play in the tournament.
His strong performances at Lyon helped him secure a place in Portugal's midfield. He played a big part in helping Portugal qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He appeared in five matches in the tournament in Germany, where Portugal reached the semi-finals.
Tiago scored his first goal for Portugal on 28 March 2007, in a game against Serbia. He was not selected for UEFA Euro 2008.
Tiago was part of the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He scored two goals in a 7–0 win against North Korea on 21 June.
After the 2010 World Cup, Tiago decided to stop playing for the national team. He wanted to give younger players a chance. He had played 58 games and scored three goals for Portugal. However, in October 2014, he was called up again by the new manager, Fernando Santos. He played in a friendly and a Euro 2016 qualifier. He was sent off in a qualifying match against Armenia in June 2015. He was not chosen for UEFA Euro 2016 because he had not fully recovered from his broken leg.
Tiago's Coaching Career
After he stopped playing football, Tiago spent one year as an assistant coach to Diego Simeone at Atlético Madrid. In June 2019, he returned to the Portuguese national team setup. He worked with different age groups, from under-15s to under-20s.
Tiago had his first experience as a head coach on 28 July 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 his team. His first game as manager was a loss at home.
Tiago resigned from his coaching role on 8 October 2020. He had managed the team for three games, earning four points.
How Tiago Played Football
Tiago was a very flexible defensive or central midfielder. He was known for his great vision and overall skills on the field. He was especially good at working hard, being tough, and tackling to win the ball back. He was also known for passing the ball accurately after winning it. These skills earned him the nickname "the washing machine" when he played for Lyon.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Braga | 1999–2000 | Primeira Liga | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 1 | |||
| 2000–01 | Primeira Liga | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 0 | ||||
| 2001–02 | Primeira Liga | 17 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 62 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 67 | 4 | |||||
| Benfica | 2001–02 | Primeira Liga | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 1 | |||
| 2002–03 | Primeira Liga | 31 | 13 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 31 | 13 | ||||
| 2003–04 | Primeira Liga | 29 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | 9 | 3 | — | 43 | 11 | |||
| Total | 75 | 19 | 8 | 3 | — | 9 | 3 | — | 92 | 25 | ||||
| Chelsea | 2004–05 | Premier League | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | — | 51 | 4 | |
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 34 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 4 | ||
| Lyon | 2005–06 | Ligue 1 | 29 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | — | 37 | 7 | |
| 2006–07 | Ligue 1 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | — | 38 | 6 | ||
| Total | 56 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 4 | — | 75 | 13 | |||
| Juventus | 2007–08 | Serie A | 20 | 0 | — | — | — | 20 | 0 | |||||
| 2008–09 | Serie A | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | |||
| 2009–10 | Serie A | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |||
| Total | 42 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 48 | 0 | ||||
| Atlético Madrid (loan) | 2009–10 | La Liga | 18 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 23 | 3 | |||
| 2010–11 | La Liga | 31 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 39 | 6 | |||
| Atlético Madrid | 2011–12 | La Liga | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 22 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 30 | 2 | |||
| 2013–14 | La Liga | 23 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15 | La Liga | 31 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 5 | ||
| 2015–16 | La Liga | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17 | La Liga | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | ||
| Total | 175 | 17 | 14 | 2 | — | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 228 | 20 | |||
| Career total | 445 | 52 | 29 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 80 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 561 | 64 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 2002 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 12 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 66 | 3 | |
- Scores and results list Portugal's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Tiago goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 March 2007 | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia |  Serbia |
1–0 | 1–1 | Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 2 | 21 June 2010 | Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa |  North Korea |
4–0 | 7–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup |
| 3 | 7–0 |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Vitória Guimarães |  |
28 July 2020 | 8 October 2020 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 33.33 | |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | −0 | 33.33 | — | |||
Honours and Awards
Benfica
- Taça de Portugal: 2003–04
Chelsea
- Premier League: 2004–05
- Football League Cup: 2004–05
- FA Community Shield: 2005
Lyon
- Ligue 1: 2005–06, 2006–07
- Coupe de la Ligue runner-up: 2006–07
Atlético Madrid
- La Liga: 2013–14
- Copa del Rey: 2012–13
- Supercopa de España: 2014
- UEFA Europa League: 2011–12
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2013–14, 2015–16
Portugal
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2004
Orders
Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Braganza)
See also
In Spanish: Tiago Mendes para niños
