Fernando Mendes (footballer, born 1966)


Fernando Manuel Antunes Mendes is a Portuguese former footballer who played as a left-back. He is the only player to have represented the five Portuguese clubs who have won a Primeira Liga title.

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 summer 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, 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.
Mendes won his first Primeira Liga championship with the northern side in 1996–97, 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.
Aged nearly 33, Mendes left for another spell at Belenenses, then joined hometown's Vitória F.C. for his first season in the Segunda Liga, 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. He made his debut on 12 October 1986 at age 19 as practically the entire squad had renounced the national team after the infamous Saltillo Affair, in a 1–1 home draw against Sweden for the UEFA Euro 1988 qualifiers.

Honours

Sporting CP
Benfica
Boavista
  • Taça de Portugal: 1991–92
Porto
  • Primeira Liga: 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99
  • Taça de Portugal: 1997–98
  • Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 1996, 1998; runner-up: 1997