Fernando Mendes (footballer, born 1966)

Fernando Manuel Antunes Mendes (born 5 November 1966) is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a left back.

Not to be confused with Fernando Mendes (footballer, born 1937).
This name uses Portuguese naming customs: the first or maternal family name is Antunes and the second or paternal family name is Mendes.
Fernando Mendes
Personal information
Full name Fernando Manuel Antunes Mendes
Date of birth (1966-11-05) 5 November 1966
Place of birth Setúbal, Portugal
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Left back
Youth career
1979–1980 Montijo
1980–1985 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1985–1989 Sporting CP 94 (1)
1989–1991 Benfica 15 (0)
1991–1992 Boavista 32 (0)
1992–1993 Benfica 13 (1)
1993–1994 Estrela Amadora 18 (0)
1994–1995 Boavista 13 (0)
1995–1996 Belenenses 31 (3)
1996–1999 Porto 61 (5)
1999–2000 Belenenses 22 (2)
2000–2002 Vitória Setúbal 51 (10)
2004–2005 Montijo
2005–2008 São Marcos
2008–2009 Olímpico Montijo
Total 350 (22)
National team
1986 Portugal U21 3 (0)
1986–1996 Portugal 11 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Mendes was born in Setúbal. Having been brought up at Sporting CP's youth system at the same time as Paulo Futre, he made his first-team debut in 1984–85 aged 18, and reached the Portugal national team shortly after. In the following seasons he started regularly for the Lions, but they only won one trophy.

In 1989, Mendes joined Sporting's rivals S.L. Benfica, being sparingly used over three years – in between, he spent one season at Boavista F.C. – winning the Taça de Portugal in his last one, where he teamed up with Futre. Released by Benfica, he appeared for three teams in as many years before joining the last of the Big Three, FC Porto, thus representing all the major clubs in his country as Futre.[1]

Mendes won his first Primeira Liga championship with the northern side in 1996–97 (the second overall), contributing 22 matches and three goals to the feat. In the following two campaigns, which ended in the same fashion, he was also regularly played.[2]

Aged nearly 33, Mendes left for another spell at Belenenses, then joined hometown's Vitória F.C. for his first season in the second division, which ended in promotion. After helping the Sadinos to retain their league status, he retired from professional football with top-division totals of 321 games and 12 goals.

International career

Mendes earned 11 full caps in one decade, but did not attend any major international tournament.

Honours

Sporting

Benfica

Boavista

Porto

References
  1. Cruz Martins, André (28 April 2016). "Entre o prestígio e o orgulho ou entregar o título ao Benfica" [Between prestige and pride or handing out title to Benfica]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  2. Palma, Tiago (6 August 2017). "Fernando Mendes: "Se há coisa de que me arrependo foi de ter trocado o Sporting pelo Benfica"" [Fernando Mendes: "If I have one regret it would be swapping Sporting for Benfica"]. Observador (in Portuguese). Retrieved 25 November 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.