Spanish Mendes becomes head coach of the Uzbekistan futsal team again

A new and important stage is beginning in the history of the Uzbekistan national futsal team. Zamin.uz reported on this.

Renowned Spanish specialist Jose Maria Mendes has been officially appointed as the new head coach of our national team. A two-year contract was signed between the Uzbekistan Futsal Federation and the famous coach.

This decision sparked great interest and hope among fans, as Mendes is not a stranger to our hearts. The phrase "third return" means it is a familiar person and a familiar football philosophy.

Mendes is well known to Uzbek futsal fans, having previously managed our national team twice. First in 2011 and 2012, and later from 2014 to 2017.

Most importantly, the results under his leadership were remarkably good. We won bronze at the Asian Championship in 2014 and silver in 2016.

Thus, this appointment was made based not just on experience, but on proven results. The Spanish coach was born on March 28, 1974, in the city of Lugo.

He began his futsal career as a goalkeeper for the local clubs Lugo and Autos Lobelle in his hometown. Interestingly, when the club's head coach resigned in 1996, this position was offered to Mendes.

Thus, at the age of 22, he ended his playing career and took the path of coaching. This decision clearly defined his entire future.

After two years of work, offers from other clubs began to arrive, and he went on to work with teams such as Melilla, Cafe Kandelas Lugo, Valencia, and Croatian clubs Orkan and Barsel. This encompassed various styles, league characteristics, and requirements.

Such a school later proved very useful for the coach in managing major teams. After coaching the national teams of Thailand in 2008 and 2009, and Vietnam in 2010, he began another period associated with Uzbekistan.

He did not limit himself to the national team; he also worked at Ardus, which became the country champion in 2016 and 2017. Another important point is that he founded the Uzbekistan youth national team, discovered a number of talented futsal players, and contributed to their development.

Mendes is known as a coach who thinks not only about current results but also lays the foundation for the future. Between 2019 and 2026, he worked again in Thailand, becoming a two-time Asian Cup runner-up and bronze medalist as a coach.

It is noted that he won the Inter-Club Asian Championship and the Asian Cup Winners' Cup. These results once again demonstrate that he is a strong coach in practice.

Now the task is clear, and the goals are to open new pages. The Uzbekistan Futsal Federation expressed confidence that Mendes will help our national team open new chapters in the history of futsal.

Source: one.uz