18 Facts About Tiago Mendes

Tiago Mendes played professionally in five of Europe's major leagues, Portugal, England, France, Italy and Spain.

Tiago Mendes was a regular for Chelsea, having only missed four games in the league.

Tiago Mendes ended the season successfully as a firm fixture in the Blues' midfield three, making 51 appearances in all competitions and scoring four goals as the club added the Football League Cup.

Tiago Mendes won his second league title and helped reach the final of the Coupe de la Ligue, lost to FC Girondins de Bordeaux after a last-minute strike; overall, he netted six times in 38 matches.

Tiago Mendes eventually established himself in Claudio Ranieri's side but, in November 2008, against Inter Milan, he was stretchered off the pitch with a serious knee injury just several minutes into the match, and was sidelined for almost two months.

On 8 January 2010, Tiago Mendes joined Atletico Madrid on loan until the end of the season.

On 20 July 2011, Tiago Mendes signed a permanent two-year deal.

Tiago Mendes was again an important part of the team that reached the Europa League final, usually playing as a starter under coach Diego Simeone, who replaced Gregorio Manzano midway through the season; he missed the decisive match in Bucharest however, being sent off in the semi-final's second leg against Valencia CF after slapping Roberto Soldado.

On 21 July 2014, aged 33, Tiago Mendes renewed his contract with Atletico for two seasons.

On 28 November 2015, in the first half of the league fixture against RCD Espanyol, Tiago Mendes suffered an undisplaced fracture to his right tibia, going on to be sidelined for several months.

Tiago Mendes went on to seal a regular berth in the squad and was included in the 23-man list for UEFA Euro 2004, although he did not play in the finals; originally part of the squad for that year's Summer Olympic Games, he withdrew through injury.

Tiago Mendes's contributions aided the national team in their quest for qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and he appeared in five matches in the tournament held in Germany as Portugal reached the semi-finals, losing to France.

Tiago Mendes scored his first goal on 28 March 2007, in a Player of the match display away to Serbia.

Tiago Mendes was overlooked, for Euro 2008's final squad.

Immediately after retiring, Tiago Mendes spent one year as assistant to former manager Simeone.

Tiago Mendes returned to the national team setup in June 2019, working with every age group from the under-15s to the under-20s.

Tiago Mendes had his first head coaching experience on 28 July 2020, signing a two-year contract with Vitoria de Guimaraes.

Tiago Mendes resigned on 8 October 2020, having taken four points from three games.