Luis Mena (Chilean footballer)

Luis Arturo Mena Irarrázabal (born 28 August 1979) is a retired Chilean professional footballer. He is the only player in Chilean football history to win more than 10 domestic league titles. He also holds more than 300 appearances for Colo-Colo, with seven goals. Because of this, Mena has been dubbed by Chilean press and Colo Colo fans as the "historic one" (el historico).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Mena and the second or maternal family name is Irarrázabal.
Luis Mena
Personal information
Full name Luis Arturo Mena Irarrázabal
Date of birth (1979-08-28) 28 August 1979
Place of birth Puente Alto, Santiago, Chile
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
 Colo-Colo (women) (manager)
Youth career
Colo-Colo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–2014 Colo-Colo 322 (7)
2001 → Deportes Puerto Montt (loan) 21 (0)
Total 343 (7)
International career
1998–1999 Chile U20
1999 Chile 1 (0)
Managerial career
2021- Colo-Colo (women)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Football career

Mena made his professional debut with Colo-Colo on November 26, 1996, in the final of the Copa Chile against Rangers. He has spent his entire career, except one year when he was playing on loan at Puerto Montt, playing with Colo-Colo as a defender.

In the 2000s, and whilst he was playing for Colo-Colo, he also studied a technical-professional career in physical activity at the University of the Americas, where also was classmate of his teammates Claudio Bravo, Fernando Meneses and Miguel Riffo.[1]

Mena was the captain of the Under-20 Chile national team between 1998 and 1999, also winning the L'Alcúdia Tournament in 1998.[2] He has been described as "not the most flashiest or talented footballer", but Mena is known for his loyalty to Colo-Colo and his calm leadership on the field.[3]

Managing career

Luis Mena became the interim head coach for Colo-Colo women in January 2021, replacing Vanessa Arauz.[4] On 24 February 2021, he was officially appointed as the head coach.[5]

Honours
Colo-Colo
Chile U20

References
  1. González Lucay, Carlos (23 June 2014). "Estos son los ilustrados de la Roja". La Tercera. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  2. Roggero, José (19 August 2015). "¡La Roja sub 20 es campeona en L'Alcúdia!". El Mostrador (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  3. "[Perfiles] Luis Mena "El Incombustible Multicampeón"". Charla Technica. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  4. "Luis Mena confirmado como el nuevo DT de Colo Colo Femenino -". Contragolpe (in Spanish). 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  5. "Luis Mena renueva como DT de Colo-Colo para 2021". Contragolpe (in Spanish). 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2021-06-09.


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