Claudio Mendes

Claudio "Clau" Mendes Vicente (born 8 December 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Spanish club UE Cornellà. Born in Spain, he represents Guinea-Bissau at youth international level.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Mendes and the second or maternal family name is Vicente.
Clau Mendes
Personal information
Full name Claudio Mendes Vicente
Date of birth (2000-12-08) 8 December 2000
Place of birth Arrecife, Spain
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
 Cornellà
Youth career
Torrelavega
Orientación Marítima
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2020 Las Palmas C 21 (1)
2019–2021 Las Palmas B 8 (2)
2020–2023 Las Palmas 24 (1)
2022 → Rayo Majadahonda (loan) 12 (3)
2022–2023 → Logroñés (loan) 33 (4)
2023– Cornellà 0 (0)
International career
2018 Guinea-Bissau U17 1 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 May 2023

Club career

Born in Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands to Bissau-Guinean parents,[1] Mendes represented SRCyD Torrelavega and CD Orientación Marítima as a youth before joining UD Las Palmas in 2019.[2] Initially assigned to the C-team in Tercera División, he made his senior debut on 31 August of that year, coming on as a half-time substitute in a 1–2 away loss against CD Buzanada.

Mendes scored his first senior goal on 7 September 2019, netting the last in a 3–0 home success over EMF Atlético Unión Güímar.[3] In December, he also started to feature for the reserves in Segunda División B.[4]

Mendes made his first team debut with the Amarillos on 13 June 2020, replacing Juanjo Narváez late into a 0–0 Segunda División home draw against Girona FC;[5] aged 19 years and 188 days, he became the third-youngest debutant of the club's history who was born in the isle of Lanzarote, only behind Sito and Antonio Betancort's debuts.[6]

Mendes scored his first professional goal on 20 September 2020, netting a last-minute equalizer in a 3–3 home draw against CF Fuenlabrada.[7] On 25 January 2022, after being rarely used, he was loaned to Primera División RFEF side CF Rayo Majadahonda for the remainder of the campaign.[8]

On 3 August 2022, Mendes moved to fellow third division side UD Logroñés on loan for one year.[9] On 19 July of the following year, he moved to UE Cornellà in the same tier on a permanent deal.[10]

International career

Born in Spain, Mendes is of Bissau-Guinean descent.[11] He represented the latter's under-18s for the 2019 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations qualification, scoring a goal on his debut.[12]

Personal life

Mendes' twin brother Leo is also a footballer. A goalkeeper, both finished their formation at Orientación before moving to different teams.[13]

References
  1. "El lanzaroteño Clau Mendes debuta con la UD Las Palmas" [The lanzaroteño Clau Mendes debuts with UD Las Palmas] (in Spanish). Lancelot Digital. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  2. "Clau Mendes, el 7º jugador nacido en Lanzarote que juega con Las Palmas" [Clau Mendes, the 7th Lanzarote-born player who plays with Las Palmas] (in Spanish). Lanzarote Deportiva. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  3. "3–0: Las Palmas C acaba con la pesadilla del gol" [3–0: Las Palmas C end their goal nightmare] (in Spanish). Tinta Amarilla. 7 September 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  4. "El récord meteórico de Claudio Mendes" [The meteoric record of Claudio Mendes] (in Spanish). Tinta Amarilla. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  5. "Las Palmas-Girona, un partido sin público y sin fútbol" [Las Palmas-Girona, a match without attendance and without football] (in Spanish). Marca. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  6. "Claudio Mendes, el nuevo testigo de Lanzarote" [Claudio Mendes, the new token of Lanzarote] (in Spanish). Tinta Amarilla. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  7. "Kante y Clau Mendes exprimen un partido de locura" [Kante and Clau Mendes squeeze a crazy match] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 20 September 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  8. "Clau Mendes, cedido al Rayo Majadahonda" [Clau Mendes, loaned to Rayo Majadahonda] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  9. "Clau Mendes, cedido a la UD Logroñés" [Clau Mendes, loaned to UD Logroñés] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  10. "Bienvenido, Clau Mendes" [Welcome, Clau Mendes] (in Spanish). UE Cornellà. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  11. "Clau Mendes, la última perla del fútbol amarillo desde... Lanzarote" [Clau Mendes, the latest pearl of amarillo football from... Lanzarote] (in Spanish). Marca. 24 May 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  12. "Goal of Claudio Mendes!". Retrieved 13 June 2020 – via mycujoo.tv.
  13. "Claudio y Leo: un calco" [Claudio and Leo: an image] (in Spanish). Tinta Amarilla. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
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