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Tiago
Personal information
Full name	Tiago Cardoso Mendes
Date of birth	May 2, 1981 (1981-05-02) (age 26)
Place of birth	Viana do Castelo, Portugal
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Juventus
Number	30
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1999-2001 2002-2004 2004-2005 2005-2007 2007-	SC Braga SL Benfica Chelsea Olympique Lyonnais Juventus	62 0(4) 83 (20) 34 0(4) 56 0(9) 04 0(0)
National team2
2002 -	Portugal	37 0(1)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:33, 30 October 2007 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of March 28, 2007. * Appearances (Goals)

Tiago Cardoso Mendes (IPA: [ti'agu], born May 2, 1981 in Viana do Castelo, Portugal) is a Portuguese professional football player. Tiago plays as a defensive midfielder in the Italian Serie A for Juventus and the Portugal national football team.

Contents 1 Club career 2 International career 2.1 International goals 3 Career honours 4 Career Stats 5 References 6 External links

Tiago came to prominence at Sporting Braga B, the reserve team of Sporting Braga, during the 1999-00 season. He moved to the main team the following season, helping Braga secure 4th place and UEFA Cup qualification.

Tiago moved to Benfica in December 2001 where he excelled in the 2002-03 season, scoring 13 times in the league, playing a significant part in the club's second place finish. He then helped Benfica defeat FC Porto in the 2004 Cup of Portugal final during the 2003-04 season, denying Porto a historic treble.

Tiago signed for Chelsea on July 20, 2004 for a €15m fee, becoming José Mourinho's sixth signing that season. Having missed the first game of Chelsea's 2004-05, Tiago soon became an important member of his new team's squad, scoring on his away debut against Crystal Palace on August 24, 2004. Tiago also scored a long-range stunner in Chelsea's 3-1 win over Manchester United on May 10, 2005^[1] after already winning the Premier League title. Tiago was a regular for Chelsea that season, having only missed four games in the Premier League. He ended the season successfully as a firm fixture in the Blues' midfield three, having made 51 appearances in all competitions and scoring 4 goals. Chelsea won the Premier League and Carling Cup that season.

The arrival of Michael Essien in August 2005 seemed to limit Tiago's first team chances. After an emotional goodbye^[2], Tiago flew to Lyon and completed his medical with French giants Olympique Lyonnais, signing a four-year deal for a €10.1m transfer fee.^[3] Mourinho later confessed that letting Tiago go was a big mistake.^[4]

Usually playing in a defensive midfield role alongside Juninho, Mahamadou Diarra and Florent Malouda, Tiago excelled for Lyon scoring 7 goals in 37 appearances. The highlights of his first season in France were a pair of goals against PSV Eindhoven to take Lyon into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals and the winning goal against Troyes on April 1, 2006 to lead Lyon to a 5th consequtive Ligue 1 title during the 2005-06 season.

Following the departure of Diarra to Real Madrid the following season, Tiago began to play a more significant role in Lyon's midfield with Diarra's replacement, Jeremy Toulalan. He won his second Ligue 1 title that season and brought Lyon to the Coupe de la Ligue final in where they lost out to a last minute strike to Bordeaux. He scored 6 goals in 40 appearances in his second season with the club.

On June 17, 2007, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas confirmed that Tiago's departure from Lyon was imminent with both Juventus and AC Milan reportedly after his signature.^[5] He officially signed for Juventus on June 21, 2007 for a €13m fee.^[6]

Having enjoyed a fine career in Portugal's youth teams, Tiago made his senior debut against Scotland in a November 2002 friendly. He went on to seal a regular berth in the squad and was included in the 23-man squad for the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship although he did not appear as Portugal reached the final.

Moving to France also had the desired effect in international terms, with Tiago’s form forcing him into the previously closed shop of Portugal’s midfield. He was a leading player in the Portugal team that qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played five matches in Germany during the tournament and played an important part in Portugal reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup where they eventually succumbed to France.

Tiago scored his first goal for the national team in March 2007, in a Man of the Match display away to Serbia.

Tiago: International Goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	March 28, 2007	Belgrade, Serbia	Serbia	1-1	Draw	Euro 2008 qualifying

• Cup of Portugal: 1
  

2003/04

• Premier League: 1
  

2004/05

• Football League Cup: 1
  

2004/05

• Ligue 1: 2
  

2005/06, 2006/07

• Trophée des champions: 2
  

2005/06, 2006–2007

All-Time Club Performance

Club	Season	Domestic League		Domestic Cup		European Competition		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Lyon	06-07	27	4	5	0	8	2	40	6
	05-06	29	5	3	0	8	2	40	7
Total		56	9	8	0	16	4	80	13
Chelsea	04-05	34	4	6	0	11	0	51	4
Total		34	4	6	0	11	0	51	4
SL Benfica	03-04	29	5			8	1	37	6
	02-03	31	13					31	13
	01-02	15	1					15	1
Total		75	19	0	0	8	1	83	20
Sporting Braga	01-02	17	3			1	0	18	3
	00-01	27	0					27	0
	99-00	18	1					18	1
Total		62	4	0	0	1	0	63	4
Career Totals		227	36	14	0	36	5	277	41

8. I volti nuovi della serie A: Tiago Cardoso Mendes, Realsoccer.it del 07/08/2007 (Italian)

• www.PortuGOAL.net | | The definitive Portuguese football site (Player Profile Section)
• Tiago Cardoso Mendes player information, statistics, honours, World Cup stats, UEFA Champions League stats and timeline.
• Goal.com profile

v • d • e Portugal squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup Fourth Place
1 Ricardo • 2 P. Ferreira • 3 Caneira • 4 R. Costa • 5 Meira • 6 Costinha • 7 Figo • 8 Petit • 9 Pauleta • 10 H. Viana • 11 Simão • 12 Quim • 13 Miguel • 14 N. Valente • 15 Boa Morte • 16 R. Carvalho • 17 C. Ronaldo • 18 Maniche • 19 Tiago • 20 Deco • 21 Nuno Gomes • 22 P. Santos • 23 H. Postiga • Coach: Scolari

v • d • e Juventus F.C. – current squad
1 Buffon • 2 Birindelli • 3 Chiellini • 4 Almirón • 5 Zebina • 6 Zanetti • 7 Salihamidžić • 8 Camoranesi • 9 Iaquinta • 10 Del Piero • 11 Nedvěd • 12 Belardi • 14 Andrade • 17 Trezeguet • 18 Boumsong • 19 Criscito • 20 Palladino • 21 Grygera • 22 Vanstrattan • 23 Nocerino • 24 Olivera • 28 Molinaro • 30 Tiago • 31 Novembre • 32 Marchionni • 33 Legrottaglie • Manager: Ranieri