Tiago Turns Down Potential Mourinho Reunion – Why The Atletico Madrid Man May Have Decided To Stay
As rumours linked him with a possible return to Stamford Bridge, former Chelsea midfielder Tiago Mendes has signed a new deal with Atletico Madrid. The 33-year-old helped the La Liga side clinch their first league title since 1996 last season and Talksport have reported that he has now committed his future to the club.
After impressing for Portugal’s under-21 side, Tiago would go on to make his debut for his country’s first team in 2002. He retired from international football after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, having collected 58 caps and scored three goals.
Tiago has enjoyed a fruitful club career that has seen him win trophies in various countries. The midfielder won the Portuguese cup during his last year at Benfica before joining compatriot Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, where he played a huge part in the Blues clinching their first ever Premier League title in what would turn out to be his only season in England.
Leaving Chelsea for Lyon in 2005, Tiago won two league titles with the French club towards the end of their golden generation. It was at his next side that the former Portugal man would miss out on a trophy for the first time in four years, having moved to Italy in 2007 just as Juventus returned to Serie A. They had previously been relegated to the second division after the huge match-fixing scandal known as Calciopoli, and so were not yet ready to compete at the very top again.
Europa League and Copa del Rey victories preceded last season’s incredible triumph in La Liga at Atletico Madrid. Although a return to Chelsea may have been on the table for Tiago, the midfielder has good reason to be perfectly happy in Spain.
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