"Offers came in some were rejected by the club, some by me, others jointly, Mendieta recalls to FourFourTwo. The most famous was from Real Madrid. When they became interested in 2001, I knew Valencia wouldn't let me go for less than my release clause, which was 60 million, and Real weren't going to pay that for me. If they had triggered it, the debate would have shifted: would I have gone? But it never got to that point."
"When the Bilbao-born playmaker did leave Valencia, did the price tag weigh on him? It never caused me anxiety or pressure, he adds. I know players who have suffered from that, but thankfully I didn't. I never thought, If I cost this much, I must perform to this level.' I was always the one demanding the most of myself in training and competition, regardless of the transfer fee. The problem at Lazio was that I never got continuity."
Gaizka Mendieta served as Valencia's creative fulcrum, captaining the club to the 1999 Copa del Rey and consecutive Champions League finals. Persistent transfer interest followed his peak form, with Real Madrid reportedly interested but unwilling to meet his 60 million release clause. Lazio signed Mendieta in summer 2001 for 29million, making him the sixth-most expensive player at the time. Mendieta says the transfer fee did not create personal anxiety and that he always demanded the most of himself. The Lazio spell lacked continuity amid many squad changes, and Mendieta did not gel, leaving after one season and later going on loan to Barcelona.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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