1 minute read
FROM THE PREMIER LEAGUE... TO PAELLA
from Monday 10 July 2023
by cityam
ing in life like football’ – the adrenaline of being in a stadium of 90,000 people. It’s tough to find something like that.”
Restaurants give him a “different satisfaction”, Mendieta says. He divides his time between them, football media work and other ventures including Player4Player, which connects current and former footballers with trusted companies. He is also working with AxisStars, which offers a networking platform for athletes during and after their careers and was founded by former Manchester United and France forward Louis Saha.
Mendieta spoke to City A.M. at a football match for players whom AxisStars has helped to plan their next step, including Matt Jarvis, Rachel Yankey. Cherno Samba and Emma Beckett. Not everyone is as enterprising as the Spaniard, however, and he is passionate about helping other generations make the difficult transition to life after football and all its trappings.
“A football career is maximum 20 years; 10 years maximum of great contracts, so you have to be very wise in how you invest that money to last you saw 4Aces take a second victory, having also triumphed in Adelaide in April. Johnson’s team, who took the overall title in LIV Golf’s first season, lead the standings by 39 points from Joaquin Niemann’s Torque. Louis Oosthuizen was fourth in the individual leaderboard on 12 under, two shots ahead of Johnson in fifth. England’s Richard Bland was among a clutch on nine under par, along with Henrik Stenson, Thomas Pieters, Pat Perez and Cameron Tringale. Ian Poulter was a further shot back on eight under after a round of 66. double or treble your age. It’s a long journey, not just financially but mentally,” he says.
“Mentally it’s very tough. The drop-off is huge. If you don’t have routine and stability it can be tough. People don’t realise because [they see] fancy cars, fancy trips, fancy life but believe me there is more on the other side.
“Until you come to that place, it’s hard to appreciate. We need to help current players to appreciate this so that they’re better prepared.”
