Gabriel Mendoza

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Mendoza and the second or maternal family name is Ibarra.

Gabriel Mendoza

Personal information
Full name	Gabriel Rafael Mendoza Ibarra
Date of birth	(1968-05-22) 22 May 1968
Place of birth	Graneros, Chile
Height
Position(s)	Right back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1986–1990	O'Higgins	78	(4)
1991–1996	Colo-Colo	163	(6)
1997	São Paulo	17	(0)
1998–1999	Tigres UANL	19	(1)
2000	Santiago Wanderers	25	(0)
2001	Colo-Colo	13	(1)
2001	Shandong Luneng	6	(0)
2002	Santiago Morning	17	(0)
International career‡
1991–1997	Chile	36	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 January 2011 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12 October 2010

Gabriel Rafael Mendoza Ibarra (born 22 May 1968 in Graneros), commonly known as Coca Mendoza for his similarity with the television actress Coca Guazzini, is a former Chilean footballer that played in the position of right back and central midfielder.

Mendoza was member of Colo-Colo's historic squad that achieved 1991 Copa Libertadores.

Biography

Playing career

Mendoza arrived to Colo-Colo, after of made a recognized season with O'Higgins. In the Cacique, he immediately was won the position of right back in the squad of the coach Mirko Jozic, European style assiduously defensive, but with very vertigo in the sidebands.

He was one of key players of the club in the squad that Colo-Colo achieved the Copa Libertadores 1991, after of defeat to Olimpia for 3–0 in the final, however he also was included in the best team of South America. Mendoza also won the Chilean Primera Division with the club in the same year. In the match against Puebla for Recopa Sudamericana of 1992, he scored one of three goals of Colo-Colo, in the 3–1 victory. After of four good seasons, he was signed by Tigres UANL of Mexico.

After of made an irregular season with Tigres, he return to Chile, for play at Santiago Wanderers in 2000. One year later, he returned to Colo-Colo. After of his spent for Colo-Colo, he joined to Shandong Luneng of Chinese Super League. Finally in 2002, he return to Chile for finish his career at Santiago Morning.

Post-playing career

In 2005, Gabriel Mendoza participated in the reality show La Granja VIP. During the reality, he was the runner-up of the contest, after of loss in a mourning of force at final against the Spanish singer Javier Estrada. After of his participation in this reality, he was invited to many stellars of the Chilean TV. In 2009, Mendoza once appeared in a TV serie, the reality show 1810 of Canal 13. He had his personal revenge, because he won the final of the reality, winning a reward of 50 million pesos (US$80.000).

Currently Mendoza plays in the Chilean national team of Showbol, tournament of futsal played for all South America. He also has a football school in Viña del Mar, called Gabriel "Coca" Mendoza.

Honours

Club

Colo-Colo

• Copa Libertadores (1): 1991
• Recopa Sudamericana (1): 1991
• Copa Interamericana (1): 1992
• Primera División de Chile (3): 1991, 1993, 1996
• Copa Chile (2): 1994, 1996

International

Chile

• Copa América:
  • Third place: 1991

Individual

• South America Best Eleven: 1991

External links

• Gabriel Mendoza at National-Football-Teams.com