This article was originally posted at Linked In, July 2019
Starring, GAIZKA MENDIETA, Co-starring, Mohamed Salah & Bernardo Silva.
Valencia C.F. were runners-up in the first two UEFA Champions League Finals of the century. In 2000 at the Stade de France they lost 0-3 to Real Madrid. victims of probably Steve McManaman’s finest performance. A year later in Milan, with six changes to their starting lineup from the previous year, they lost narrowly to Bayern Munich on penalties.
Those old enough will remember charismatic characters such as Goalkeeper Santiago Canizares, Guadeloupe-born full-back Jocelyn Angloma and Argentine ‘Roadrunner’, Kily Gonzalez, who all played in both finals. However, the central figure in both campaigns was undoubtedly Gaizka Mendieta. Including two UEFA Champions League Finals Gaizka completed 230 appearances for Valencia scoring 44 goals. He was named UEFA Midfielder of the Year in 2000 and 2001.
In the ‘Mendieta Mystery’ I attempt to understand from an astrological perspective what enabled Gaizka Mendieta to make the conversion from a full-back to the top midfield player in Europe, with Valencia. Why, after departing from Valencia, he was unable to repeat that success and what other locations might have provided him with the astrological environment to maintain the level of performance he displayed with Valencia?
Born in Bilbao on 27th April 1974, Gaizka started his professional career in 1992 as a full-back with Castellon in Segunda Division before moving to Valencia after just one season. Eventually, during the 1997-98 season, manager Claudio Ranieri recognised Gaizka could make a greater contribution to the team in central midfield. Within a short time that contribution became inspirational as Valencia enjoyed the most successful period in their now 100-year history.
A partial Location Astrology analysis without an accurate birthtime shows Gaizka has two planetary combinations at his birthplace. The strongest is transformative, yet sober and grounding. This combination is present for Juventus manager Mauricio Sarri at his birthplace and also for Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic in Turin. The other, albeit mild, is considered one of the best possible locations where one is good-natured, loved and admired[A1] . This is a planetary combination Jurgen Klopp enjoys in Liverpool. No matter where Gaizka relocates on the planet these influences will be present to some extent. An accurate birthtime would reveal more.
Gaizka’s move to Valencia in 1992 at the age of 18 brought him into contact with two different planetary combinations. The strongest of these has huge potential for any professional athlete. It exists at its most intense for Gaizka on the latitude of Ibiza and extends the entire circumference of the planet. This is a predominantly masculine influence that produces excesses of energy and the capacity to accomplish a tremendous amount of work. Two of the most striking current examples of players benefitting from this same planetary manifestation at their club locations are Mohamed Salah, and Manchester City midfield dynamo, Bernardo Silva.
The planetary influence that likely provided the additional energy for Gaizka to transform from a full-back to the finest midfield player in Europe does have a downside. There is the potential for constant stress and tension to cause what might be termed these days as ‘burnout’. Regardless of whether ‘burnout’ was a factor in Gaizka feeling the need to move on, in 2001 he moved to Rome club Lazio for a transfer fee of approximately $50m. Inevitably there would have been an expectation at Lazio, and from Gaizka, that, at the age of 27, he could inspire Lazio to similar success as achieved at Valencia.
It was not to be. After only 20 appearances for Lazio and no goals he departed in 2002 on loan to Barcelona. Rome and Barcelona are of course almost on the same latitude. Consequently, the same somewhat uninspiring planetary combination he found in Rome is present in Barcelona. There are currently no top-level players at Europe’s leading clubs with this combination. It is almost certain there was another influence or even several present in Italy that are not present in Spain. These might also have prevented a successful outcome. An accurate birthtime would reveal that information. This outcome is similar to what was described in a previous article entitled ‘Alexis Sanchez Lunar Hell’ describing the astrological environment in Manchester that has seen him fail to realise his and Manchester United’s expectation.
The mild positive influence at Gaizka’s birthplace in Bilbao was also present on the latitude of Rome and Barcelona, but it appears that the good nature it confers, while positive, required some additional energising to propel Gaizka to the success he achieved with Valencia. One certainty is that influence was not present in Rome or Barcelona.
After an uninspiring season at Barcelona, Gaizka decided to sample the English Premiership with Middlesbrough. Partial analysis reveals two planetary combinations there for Gaizka, neither especially favourable, nor would they have provided him with a surplus of energy. One of these combinations is best avoided, not just by professional athletes but all of us, as it is said to increase the likelihood of personal injury. Apparently Gaizka suffered from a number of injuries at Middlesbrough including one that caused him to miss the 2006 UEFA Cup Final. This week Manchester City signed Rodri from Atletico Madrid for a reported fee of £62.8m. He too has this planetary combination in Manchester!
It is reported that in 2003 before opting to sign for Middlesbrough, Atletico Madrid made an offer for his services. My partial analysis indicates this would have been a more successful move to a city where even today Gaizka is likely to feel enlivened. Malaga could also have been a positive relocation where Gaizka has a similar planetary combination to Valencia but with more regenerative quality. In England, Gaizka has no planetary combinations in the central area between the latitudes of Liverpool and Birmingham. However, without the energising effect experienced in Valencia there is still no guarantee his performances would have consistently matched those at the Mestalla.
There is no doubt that substantial amounts of money and valuable time can be saved on football player and manager deals with the use of Location Astrology. Ongoing analysis of current players and managers has been revealing some wonderful information. It is surprising how many players who went to Barcelona would have been better off in Madrid and vice versa. Joao Felix might be one of these players, especially as the deal was concluded so close to the new Moon. When will Rafael Benitez eventually become the greatest manager in Barcelona history?
Location Astrology reports would ensure more informed decision making. The result, more successful playing careers and more satisfied clubs and supporters. A great player is always a great player, but there are definitely places they will feel in greater harmony with club, team-mates and most importantly with themselves. Mauricio Sarri was recently reported as saying a happy player is always a more successful player. Luckily, for Mr Sarri my analysis indicates his success should continue at Juventus. As for his predecessor Massimiliano Allegri that’s another marvellous story.
Location Astrology is useful to all. While it enables us to see where top-class professional sportsmen will perform best, it can identify prime locations for anybody. We all have a specific location, that can be anywhere on earth, where health, regeneration and recuperation are likely maximised. Who wouldn’t want to know that location? A precise birthtime will ensure you receive precise information. Relative to what’s at stake, the cost of these reports is negligible. I suspect that within a short time all football players will thoroughly check their Location Astrology before making any move as opposed to today’s ‘pot luck’ which too often fails to satisfy anybody.
PISPASCANA 