Gaizka Mendieta made the breakthrough in the world of football in Valencia during 1993 to 2001. He won with them the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup, the 1999 Copa del Rey, the 1999 Spanish Super Cup and reached the Champions League final two consecutive times (2000, 2001).
The Bilbao-born Spaniard went on to play for Lazio in Serie A, Barcelona in La Liga and Middlesbrough in Premier League, where he lifted the League Cup in 2004. He was a Spain international and a runner-up of UEFA European U-21 Championship 1996. Individually, he was named as the best midfielder in Europe for the years 2000 and 2001 by UEFA.
Mendieta, one of the greatest footballers that Spain has produced, currently a businessman, TV football analyst, La Liga ambassador & occasional DJ, spoke with Sportskeeda about English and Spanish football, including the rivalry and the domination of El Clasico clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Q: You have won numerous club and individual titles and have scored many goals for different teams. Which specific moment of your career do you recall most often, now that eight years have passed since your retirement (2008 in Middlesbrough)?
Obviously, I always remember the great and the big times like when you win trophies and individual titles, as you mentioned. My first debut with Valencia in La Liga is always something that I think it is obviously very important for me. (I remember) all those great moments, the successful ones, (which came) after a lot of work and sacrifices. These are the memories that I have from my career.
Q: Which teammate of yours was your favourite? And which defender caused you the most difficulties?
I always got on very well with my teammates. I am still nowadays in contact with a lot of them, those with whom I played in different games, the legends of the games around the world. Luckily, I have a lot of friends in the world of football.
There's always been tough defenders that caused me a lot of difficulties. It was really difficult to play against them, but that was the challenge; when you play against the biggest defensive or centre midfielders, like Simeone, Rondo, Makelele. All these players were fantastic and amazing, but for me, it was a challenge to overplay them.
Q: You spent the most years of your career in Valencia. You helped Valencia win the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. You weren't there when they won the 2001/02 & 2003/04 La Liga, but do you feel that you set the stage in order they to be able to win these two Spanish championships?
I was very happy when Valencia won all those trophies after I left. I think somehow, in a way, I felt part of it because I spent the previous ten years in the club; not only me but also my teammates (felt part of it) during our time when we had a goal to create and build something that luckily stayed at Valencia for longer and brought success to the club. Like I said, I am very happy for my teammates, for the fans and for the club, that all those years were so successful for them even if I wasn't there.
Q: You were runners up with Valencia in 2000 and 2001 Champions League campaign. Atletico Madrid were also runners-up of UCL in 2014 and 2016. You both lost from the same team, Real Madrid; Valencia from Bayern too. Do you feel a connection with Atletico due to these facts?
I kind of feel a connection with Atletico Madrid in the way that both clubs grew up. Atletico Madrid did it nowadays with Cholo Simeone and we did it at Valencia. There are similarities that remained to everyone's memory, especially how we lost both of the finals. Atletico Madrid has lost both of them too; also the La Liga titles that Atletico and Valencia won.
Apart from that, I think that Atletico and Valencia had completely different styles of football. Atletico Madrid and Valencia displays were very different in terms of football. Obviously, the achievements and the upsets against Real Madrid and Barcelona, the two giants in Spain, are something that I have retained in my memory from my days with Valencia.
Q: After Valencia in 2003/04, Atletico Madrid was the only team that managed to win La Liga apart from Real Madrid and Barcelona, the last 15 years. In Champions League Real Madrid and Barcelona dominate the possession of the trophy despite the fact that many other Spanish teams reached high stages during the years, such as Valencia and Atletico Madrid. Why is it so hard another Spanish club to win the title from Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga and Champions League?
Well, I think that the fact that Madrid and Barcelona have won these trophies so many times stems from the strength and the potential they have in terms of money and financial possibilities to buy the best players in the world. This makes it very difficult for other teams to do so. La Liga is a very competitive league, arguably the best league in the world, due to the fact that Barcelona and Real Madrid are very competitive teams and the best players in the world want to be in this league and in particular in these two clubs.
So I think that it makes it even bigger achievement for teams like Atletico Madrid or Valencia, who were mentioned earlier, to reach the final in the Champions League and also beat these clubs, not only in Spain but also in Europe.
Q: Sevilla has got five Europa League wins in the last ten years. It is an unprecedented fact that can only be compared with the five successive wins of European Cup (current Champions League) from Real Madrid in 1956-1960. Where do you think it can lead them? Perhaps in a future win of La Liga or Champions League? Is Sevilla capable of that?
Surely, Sevilla's achievements in the past ten years are undeniable; in the present they find difficulty to adapt to their new manager (Jorge Sampaoli), but the structure that there is within the club and the sporting director Monchi, who knows very well what the needs of this team are and what type of players must be signed, it makes them a very valuable club and squad.
He is somebody who doesn't let things on chance and connects them with the competitions. Definitely, Sevilla can do that. We see them in the Champions League competing against the big clubs. I think they are still far from there (winning Champions League and La Liga), but in the future who knows. Definitely, they found comfort in Europa League.
Q: You have played for Barcelona too. Many players have decided to play for both Barcelona and Real Madrid despite the rivalry that makes them hateful to the fans of their previous El Clasico team. Did you ever have a proposal from Real Madrid and you probably denied it? If you hypothetically had, would you go to Real Madrid, when you were a player?
No, personally I've never had an offer from Real Madrid. As a player, you always want to play for the best clubs in the world. I was lucky to play for Barcelona because it was, it is and always will be one of the biggest clubs in football's history. If I had an offer (from Real Madrid) before I went to Barca, yes, it is something that I would consider.
There is no player that doesn't want to play for the big clubs in Spain and anywhere all over the world. We are talking about two amazing clubs. I think everyone would consider such offers. Apart from that, it is important to play so sometimes you have to bring to the table and take on board your chances to play. We have seen many players go to Real Madrid and not play to the extent they thought they would. But definitely, it is something to think about, that time would have comforted me (a proposal from Real Madrid).
Q: Six great clubs (Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Barcelona, Villarreal, Athletic Club) are very close to each other in terms of points currently in La Liga table. Who will win this year's title? Will it be Barcelona or Real Madrid again, or will we see a surprise?
In terms of winning La Liga, we won't see many surprises, like you mentioned. Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Barca are the favourites to win it. La Liga is a very competitive and tough competition which is being played along a whole season and the best and most consistent team with the best squad will be the one that will win it. So I don't think that we could see a potential surprise.
However, I think this year is going to be really tough like it has been the last few years. A point to point difference could play a big role on who will win it or lose it. This year things have been even tougher. We've seen how competitive football nowadays is and how every game becomes really challenging and sort of a test for everyone. But for me, these three (Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, Barcelona) are still the favourites to win it.
Q: Another team of yours, Middlesbrough, managed this year to return to Premier League for the first time after seven seasons and they have started quite well in the championship. Are they capable of achieving a good campaign?
After coming back in the Premier League from a long-term absence, the achievement would be to establish ourselves in a position to be able to build a team. I've talked to Karanka (the manager) who has done an excellent job in the club and the goal is to establish them in the Premier League, but it is still difficult for them to compete.
However, there are two cups in England and could be an option for Middlesbrough to win either the FA or the League Cup, like they did in my days there. Hopefully, they will.
Q: You played in the Premier League for five years. Last year a huge surprise took place there with Leicester City of Claudio Ranieri, who was your coach in Valencia, winning the title. Which teams will compete more intensely for the title?
Last year was unique after Leicester won the Premier League. It is something we don't get to see very often: to witness how all the big clubs in the league kind of not performing the way they should perform. I am talking about Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United. That allowed Leicester to win it. To see that again, we’ll have to wait for many years. It might happen one of the big clubs not to perform at its best, but the other ones will.
So the favourites to win the Premier League title are the usual. Chelsea seem to be struggling with the new manager but with the players and the winner's mentality they have, they still must be considered amongst them (the favourites). It is a long and very tough tournament. Despite the fact that there may be some differences in the points, all the clubs have to go through the Christmas period, which is something very tough. Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal are the favourites to win it.
Q: You have played for the national team of Spain. After your years there, Spain started to dominate in the European and worldwide levels by winning three major titles (European Championships 2008 and 2012, World Cup 2010). In the last competitions (World Cup 2014 and Euro 2016) they are not so strong. Will they manage to build an unbeatable team again?
Definitely, I believe Spain always have the potential, the players and the team to compete and to become one of the best teams in the world. We've done it in the past few years. We know how difficult it is to stay on the top. No one has ever done what Spain did, to win three in a row. That says how difficult it is what they have achieved. That is life: the cycles. Now a cycle has changed: Xavi, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Casillas, Villa, Torres. We have to build a team again. A team full of spirit, like that we had.
We have the players, but it takes time. Everything needs time in football. Nothing happens overnight and that is why we need to be patient for the new manager to find the group of players that will perform at the level of the previous ones. They'll put everything together and they'll find the right formula for it.
Q: From the current football players, which one, perhaps Spaniard or with another nationality, reminds you of yourself as far as the playing style is concerned?
It is difficult for me to mention a particular player that reminds me of me, basically because I don't believe in comparisons. I don't believe that two players are the same. So I wouldn't compare myself to anyone. There is a lot of individuality in a lot of players. I would leave that to the professionals, to the fans and the journalists, to decide who reminds them of me.
Q: What have you done after your retirement and what do you plan to do further? I have read that you became a DJ. Is it in a professional capacity or just for fun? What does music mean to you?
After retiring from football, I dedicated more time to my family, friends and my business; I was investing while I was playing. I have different businesses. Recently, I joined a group of Spanish restaurants in Great Britain: England and Scotland, going very well at the moment. I still like to play football when I have the chance and I work for television, mostly for Sky Sports about La Liga. I also work for different broadcasters around the world, such as Supersport, Astro, ITV; I dedicate some time to the media too.
Music is one of my other passions. I've been a DJ for a few years now. I play music in England and Spain, in festivals and clubs. It is something I do for fun. I don't dedicate much time comparing to other things that are on the table, but I always like to dedicate time for my passions and music is one of them. It is fantastic when I've got the time to do so and I try to do it as much as possible. I play mostly the music I like: rock from 50's to modern Indie bands and some soul.
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