Unai Mendia

Unai Mendia
Personal information
Full name Unai Mendia Sarasola
Date of birth (1981-05-16) 16 May 1981
Place of birth Beasain, Spain
Team information
Current team
Logroñés (manager)
Managerial career
Years Team
Beasain (youth)
Aloña Mendi
2015–2016 Idiazabal
2016–2018 Beasain B
2016–2018 Beasain (assistant)
2018–2019 Ordizia
2019–2020 Mirandés (assistant)
2020–2022 Rayo Vallecano (assistant)
2022–2023 Bolívar (assistant)
2024–2025 Teruel
2025– Logroñés

Unai Mendia Sarasola (born 16 May 1981) is a Spanish football manager, currently in charge of UD Logroñés.

Career

Born in Beasain, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country, Mendia began his career with the youth sides of hometown club SD Beasain, before becoming the manager of Aloña Mendi KE and Idiazabal KE in the regional leagues.[1] In July 2016, he returned to Beasain, becoming an assistant of the main squad while also taking over their B-team.[2]

On 27 June 2018, Mendia was appointed manager of Tercera División side Ordizia KE.[3] In the following year, he joined Andoni Iraola's staff at CD Mirandés as his assistant, and followed him to Rayo Vallecano in 2020.[4]

On 10 June 2022, Mendia parted ways with Iraola to return to managerial duties.[5] In November, however, he became an assistant of compatriot Beñat San José at Bolivian side Club Bolívar.[6]

Mendia departed Bolívar with San José in November 2023, and was appointed manager of Segunda Federación side CD Teruel on 12 June 2024.[7] He led the club back to Primera Federación at the end of the season,[8] but departed on 6 June 2025.[9]

Hours after leaving Teruel, Mendia was appointed manager of UD Logroñés back in division four.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Unai Mendia: "Hemos llegado aquí siendo valientes; no vamos a cambiar"" [Unai Mendia: "We reached this far being brave; we will not change that"] (in Spanish). Noticias de Navarra. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  2. ^ "El Beasain KE ya prepara su pretemporada" [Beasain KE already prepare their pre-season] (in Spanish). Noticias de Gipuzkoa. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  3. ^ "Unai Mendia, nuevo técnico del Ordizia" [Unai Mendia, new manager of Ordizia] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  4. ^ "El cuerpo técnico de Iraola en el Rayo Vallecano" [Iraola's technical staff at Rayo Vallecano] (in Spanish). Unión Rayo. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Unai Mendia se desliga de Andoni Iraola" [Unai Mendia leaves Andoni Iraola] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Unai Mendia: «Son tres años de contrato y las condiciones son incomparables»" [Unai Mendia: "It is a three-year contract and the conditions are unmatched"] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 8 December 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Unai Mendia, nuevo técnico del CD Teruel en Segunda RFEF" [Unai Mendia, new manager of CD Teruel in Segunda RFEF] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Un astigartarra y un beasaindarra, héroes del ascenso del Teruel a Primera RFEF" [An astigartarra and a beasaindarra, heroes of Teruel's promotion to Primera RFEF] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  9. ^ "El Teruel confirma el adiós de Unai Mendia" [Teruel confirm the farewell of Unai Mendia] (in Spanish). Heraldo de Aragón. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Unai Mendia, nuevo entrenador de la Unión Deportiva Logroñés" [Unai Mendia, new manager of Unión Deportiva Logroñés] (in Spanish). UD Logroñés. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.