Athletico-PR officialized on Thursday (3) the hiring of striker Steven Mendoza, 33. Old acquaintance of the Brazilian fan, the Colombian is the second reinforcement of the Odair Hellmann era and signed a valid contract until the end of 2027. Mendoza arrives at the club after passing through León, Mexico, and will wear shirt 17 in the hurricane.
Back in Brazil after just over a year out, Mendoza rediscovers coach Odair Hellmann, with whom he worked at Santos in 2023. According to the striker, the coach’s invitation had a decisive weight in the choice of Curitiba.
“The invitation was good, the conversation was good. He told me about the challenge, said the team was good. The conversation was long, days, and accepted because the teacher is a guy who works very well,” said the player, in an interview with the official website of the club.
The striker landed in Curitiba on Wednesday (2) and has already started the process of integration with the cast. He will not be able to act against Amazonas on Saturday, as he depends on the opening of the transfer window, scheduled for the 10th, to be regularized.
“I could play tomorrow, right? I was training in Mexico, preparing me. I’m ready. When I can play and the coach wants, I’ll be available,” he said.
Mendoza gained notoriety in Brazilian football for speed and dribbles in starts. The nickname “Speed Mendoza” arose in this context, when he defended Corinthians in 2015. In addition to Timon, he also passed Bahia, Ceará and Santos.
At León, his last club, played 15 matches in 2024, with five goals scored and two assists. Before that, he played for Turkey’s Adana Demrspor. The international experience, coupled with the positive history in Brazil, is seen as an asset to help OA recover in the season.
“Athletic is a big team. It does not deserve to be in this situation. The expectation of the fan, and ourselves, is high. It is a very important and very big challenge. We have to work hard to improve in the table and, of course, then get access,” said the player.
