Alberto Méndez (footballer)

Alberto Méndez Rodríguez (born 24 October 1974) is a German retired footballer who played as a midfielder.

For the Spanish writer, see Alberto Méndez.
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Méndez and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.
Alberto Méndez
Personal information
Full name Alberto Méndez Rodríguez
Date of birth (1974-10-24) 24 October 1974
Place of birth Nuremberg, West Germany
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1997 SC Feucht
1997–2002 Arsenal 4 (0)
1999 → AEK Athens (loan) 11 (0)
1999–2000 → SpVgg Unterhaching (loan) 6 (0)
2001–2002 → Racing Ferrol (loan) 17 (2)
2002–2003 Racing Ferrol 33 (4)
2003–2004 Terrassa 14 (1)
2004–2005 SC Feucht 19 (5)
2005–2006 SpVgg Bayreuth 21 (3)
2006–2007 SV Darmstadt 27 (8)
2007–2008 SV Sandhausen 23 (4)
2009–2010 SpVgg Weiden 26 (7)
Total 201 (34)
Teams managed
2011–2013 FC Amberg
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Football career

Born in Nuremberg, West Germany of Spanish descent, Méndez was discovered by Arsenal and Arsène Wenger playing for German non-league side 1. SC Feucht, and signed for the English in the 1997 summer. He made his debut with the main squad in a League Cup match against Birmingham City on 14 October as a substitute, and scored the final goal in a 4–1 home win.[1]

However, Méndez could not establish himself in the Gunners' first team, and played in only eleven official matches – four of which were in the league – in five seasons, with one goal to his name. He had subsequent spells with AEK Athens FC, SpVgg Unterhaching (his only Bundesliga experience, which consisted in six appearances from the bench during the 1999–2000 campaign), Racing de Ferrol and Terrassa FC, the latter two in Spain's second division, before returning to Germany permanently in 2004, playing in the lower leagues well into his 30s.

Méndez joined Bavarian amateur club FC Amberg as a coach in 2011, but was dismissed in April 2013 despite considerable success overall.[2]

References
  1. Wood, Greg (14 October 1997). "Arsenal's extra reserves". London: The Independent. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
  2. "Rekord-Trainer nach Auswärtssieg entlassen" [Record-manager in wins dismissed] (in German). FuPa. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
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