David Mendes da Silva
|
File:David Mendes da Silva96.JPG Mendes da Silva with Red Bull Salzburg in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Davide Miquel Mendes da Silva Gonçalves | ||
| Date of birth | 4 August 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Rotterdam, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Activitas | |||
| Sparta Rotterdam | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2004 | Sparta Rotterdam | 117 | (8) |
| 2003 | → Ajax (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | NAC Breda | 56 | (5) |
| 2006–2010 | AZ | 109 | (9) |
| 2010–2013 | Red Bull Salzburg | 43 | (4) |
| 2013–2015 | Panathinaikos | 38 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Sparta Rotterdam | 9 | (0) |
| Total | 363 | (26) | |
| International career | |||
| 2007–2009 | Netherlands | 7 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2015–2016 | Panathinaikos (assistant) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
David Miquel Mendes da Silva Gonçalves (Dutch pronunciation: [daːˈvit ˌmɛndəz daː ˈsɪlvaː];[a] born 4 August 1982) is a Dutch former professional footballer. During his career, he played for Red Bull Salzburg, AZ, Sparta Rotterdam, Ajax, Panathinaikos and NAC Breda. He was a versatile player who could play all over midfield and in defence, and was known for his dribbling technique as well as his tackling.
In 2023, Mendes da Silva was sentenced to seven years in prison for charges related to drug trafficking large amounts of cocaine, selling cocaine, and for bribing a shipping clerk for €100,000.
Club career
[edit | edit source]Born in Rotterdam, Mendes da Silva started his career at hometown club Sparta Rotterdam, graduating through their youth system, signing a professional contract in 1999 and departing in 2004; he spent some time on loan at Ajax in 2003 without making any official appearances. The next stop in his career was NAC Breda, where he made 56 appearances, scoring five goals, across two seasons.
In 2006, he was signed by AZ Alkmaar on a five-year deal. He was a regular at AZ for four seasons which included a Dutch title triumph in 2008–09, making 119 appearances and scoring 11 goals in all competitions.
In 2010 he transferred for an undisclosed fee to Red Bull Salzburg, whose coach Huub Stevens had identified Mendes da Silva as a major transfer target; he signed a three-year contract with the Austrian side. He had previously worked with Stevens' assistant Ton Lokhoff during his spell at NAC Breda.[1][2]
On 20 October 2009, Mendes da Silva scored a 93rd-minute equaliser against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League to give his team somewhat of a historic result. He stayed with Red Bull until February 2013.[3]
On 4 July 2013, Mendes da Silva signed for Greek club Panathinaikos, managed by former Roda JC and Ajax triker Giannis Anastasiou,[4] on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[5][6] With his new team he won the Greek Cup in the 2013–14 season against PAOK with a 4–1 scoreline, and after finishing first in the Super League playoffs Panathinaikos played in the third and playoff rounds of the UEFA Champions League, where they were defeated and dropped into the group stage of the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League.
International career
[edit | edit source]He having played for the Dutch U-20s team at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship (losing to Egypt in the quarter-finals), Mendes da Silva made his full international debut for the Netherlands on 7 February 2007. In total he earned seven caps, with his last appearance for the Oranje in 2009, coming on in the 84th minute of a 0–0 draw with Australia.[7]
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Mendes da Silva is of Cape Verdean descent. His cousin, Iderlindo Moreno Freire, was also a professional footballer.[8]
Arrest and conviction
[edit | edit source]In August 2022, Mendes da Silva was arrested as part of a Dutch investigation into large-scale drug trafficking. In July 2023, he was convicted of directly importing 179 kilograms of cocaine, preparing the import of more than 1,300 kilograms of cocaine, selling cocaine, and bribing a shipping clerk €100,000 to obtain information on container locations. He was sentenced to seven years in prison.[9][10]
Honours
[edit | edit source]AZ
Red Bull Salzburg
Panathinaikos
See also
[edit | edit source]- Quincy Promes – another Dutch professional footballer involved with cocaine smuggling
Notes
[edit | edit source]References
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External links
[edit | edit source]- David Mendes da Silva at SoccerwayLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- 1982 births
- Living people
- Men's association football midfielders
- Dutch men's footballers
- Netherlands men's youth international footballers
- 21st-century Dutch sportsmen
- Netherlands men's international footballers
- Dutch expatriate men's footballers
- Sparta Rotterdam players
- NAC Breda players
- AFC Ajax players
- AZ Alkmaar players
- FC Red Bull Salzburg players
- Panathinaikos F.C. players
- Footballers from Rotterdam
- Dutch people of Cape Verdean descent
- Sportspeople of Cape Verdean descent
- Eredivisie players
- Eerste Divisie players
- Austrian Football Bundesliga players
- Super League Greece players
- Expatriate men's footballers in Austria
- Expatriate men's footballers in Greece
- Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Austria
- Panathinaikos F.C. non-playing staff
- Dutch sportspeople convicted of crimes
- 21st-century Dutch criminals
- Dutch drug traffickers