Sara Mérida
Personal information
Full name Sara Mérida Pérez
Date of birth (1993-04-08) 8 April 1993
Place of birth Barcelona, Spain
Height 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 CE Europa B (head coach)
Youth career
2002–2004 Santa Eulalia
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2009 Vilanova
2009 Espanyol B
2009–2014 Espanyol 22
International career
2010 Spain U17 10+ (3+)
Managerial career
2018–2022 Espanyol (assistant)
2022– CE Europa B
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sara Mérida Pérez (born 8 April 1993) is a Spanish retired footballer who last played for RCD Espanyol. Debuting as a teenager with Espanyol, she won the Copa de la Reina twice and the Copa Catalunya once. As a youth international with Spain she won the U-17 Euro and came third at the U-17 World Cup in 2010. Despite youth success, she retired age 21 after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament four times, and became a physiotherapist and coach. She is currently the head coach of women's team CE Europa B.

Early and personal life

Sara Mérida Pérez was born in Barcelona on 8 April 1993.[1] Having grown up playing football with her older brother, fellow player Fran Mérida, she joined Santa Eulalia – the boys' team Fran had first played at – when she was nine, staying until she was eleven.[1] She has attributed her work ethic to advice Fran would give her.[1][2] Between 2020 and 2022, Fran played for Espanyol's men's team while Sara was assistant coach of its women's team.[3]

Mérida joined the women's team of Vilanova after she left Santa Eulalia, and attended school in Vilanova i la Geltrú; she continued studying there for the Baccalaureate, despite by then playing in Barcelona and having to commute.[1]

She is in a relationship with Barcelona goalkeeper Sandra Paños.[4][5]

Club career

Mérida with Espanyol in 2010

Espanyol, 2009–14

Mérida joined RCD Espanyol as a teenager in 2009, a talented youth footballer tipped for a promising career.[6] The club was a major power in Spanish women's football at the time. She initially signed for Espanyol's B team but was brought into the senior squad on a permanent basis after two months, playing her first Superliga matches when she was sixteen and saying it had been her dream to achieve this.[1]

She started in both legs of the final of the 2009–10 Superliga Femenina season that Espanyol lost 1–2 on aggregate to Rayo Vallecano in May 2010.[7] Espanyol then won the 2010 Copa de la Reina, with Mérida coming on for Kenti Robles in the final that they won 3–1 over the same opposition.[8] She quickly became essential to the team's midfield and was their set-piece specialist. On 23 January 2011, Mérida suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a game against Real Sociedad.[9] She had surgery on 8 April 2011, her 18th birthday.[10] She returned to training eight months after the injury, and expected to be present for the 2011–12 season, but tore her ACL again in a training session.[11] During this season, two other Espanyol players also tore their ACLs;[12] Mérida was cleared fit in March 2012[11] before tearing her ACL again later that month[13] during a 3–1 victory over Sporting de Huelva.[14] She was part of the squad that went on to win the 2012 Copa de la Reina.[3]

The third tear led to her being out for a year, having not played a full match for over two years since her first injury.[15] She continued at the club for the 2013–14 season, but could no longer be a consistent starter,[16] looking to settle in the squad while it was going through a period of transition.[17] She was included as part of the team for the Copa Catalunya in 2013; in the final in September they defeated the dominant Barcelona on penalties, with Mérida lifting the trophy with captain Sónia Matias.[18] Mérida then tore her ACL for the fourth time and was forced to retire from playing football.[4]

Queens League, 2023

In 2023, the Queens League seven-a-side football league began, with Mérida joining as a guest player for the team Porcinas FC, the league seen as an opportunity to let her show her talent once again.[19][20] She captained the team and played "at a spectacular level",[21] with Porcinas topping the table in the 2023 Queens League regular season before losing to PIO FC in the playoffs at the Metropolitano Stadium.[22] Mérida joined PIO FC as a guest player after this in a "bombshell" move,[23][24] starting the 2023 Queens Cup at a high level.[25][26] She was named MVP of two Queens Cup matches, as well as MVP of the playoffs[27][28] as she helped PIO reach the cup finals; she was unavailable to play in these finals after sustaining a knee injury in their match against 1K.[29]

Youth international career

Mérida played in the Catalonia football teams[30] and was part of Spain's golden youth generation that won the 2010 UEFA U-17 Euro Championship and came third in the 2010 U-17 World Cup,[31] considered their attacking midfield playmaker.[32] In the under-17 Euro, Mérida scored twice in their 5–1 group victory against Denmark.[33] In the final against Ireland, she played strongly[34] and converted the first penalty in their shoot-out victory.[35] In the under-17 World Cup, she scored against New Zealand from a free kick; having received a yellow card in the game,[32] she was sat out in Spain's final group stage match against Venezuela.[36] Her first ACL injury prevented her from playing in the 2011 UEFA U-19 Championship.[9]

Post-playing career

Physiotherapy

Having struggled to accept her injuries, Mérida was supported to "get [her] life back on track"; with extensive experience of physiotherapy, she decided to become a trainer.[6] She studied at the Instituto Nacional de Educación Física (National Institute of Physical Education), though taking longer to complete the course due to her knee damage. Specialising in injury prevention and rehabilitation, she completed a Masters course from the Royal Spanish Football Federation. She started working as a freelance personal trainer in 2016, as well as being a physiotherapist, and in 2017 said that she wanted to focus on the period of re-adaptation to team training after an injury, something for which she felt there was little support.[6]

Since 2018,[37] she has been working as a physiotherapist for Espanyol.[38][39] Though only intending to work with the women's first team, Mérida insisted on taking the case of Carla Sánchez from the youth team, a player who also suffered relapse after an ACL injury. When Sánchez returned to playing, she included Mérida's initial among others on her boots in tribute to how she had helped.[38] She was also working with the Espanyol men's team by at least 2020.[4]

Managerial career

Mérida is also involved with coaching. With her UEFA B Licence she was offered her first coaching role in the United States in 2017.[6] She was assistant manager of Espanyol's women's team from 2018 to 2022,[40][41] seeing the team promoted to the Primera Federación in 2022 after spending the 2021–22 season in the Segunda División.[42] Having to leave as the club restructured to accommodate promotion, saying the decision was out of her hands,[3] she was named the head coach of the first CE Europa women's youth team (Europa B) in 2022.[43] Competing in senior leagues, Europa B won all of their games in their debut season[44] and subsequently achieved promotion to the Catalan first division.[45]

After injury prevented her from continuing to play in the Queens League, she joined the staff of PIO FC as their assistant coach in December 2023.[46]

Managerial record

As head coach

Season Team Division Tier Pos Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
2022–23[44] CE Europa B 2ª Catalana 7 1.º Ascending 24 24 0 0 235 8 +227 72
2023–24[47] 1ª Catalana 6 3 14 11 0 3 70 12 +58 33
Last update on 4 January 2024

Honours

Espanyol

Spain under-17

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 AS, Diario (3 March 2010). "La hermana de Fran Mérida también es internacional con España". AS.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "Family traditions safe with Sara". FIFA. 16 September 2010. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Molero, Iván (1 July 2022). "Fran Mérida abandona el Espanyol, tras los pasos de su hermana Sara". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Menayo, David (7 April 2020). "El entrenamiento entre cuatro paredes: profesionalidad, voluntad y creatividad". Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "La Queens League se tiñe de azulgrana". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 18 April 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Menayo, David (13 September 2017). "Sara Mérida reinventa su vuelta al fútbol tras romperse cuatro veces el cruzado". Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  7. ↑ "Adriana acaba con las ilusiones de su ex equipo y da el título al Rayo - SUPERLIGA | FINAL | ESPANYOL 1 - RAYO VALLECANO 1". AS. 9 May 2010. Archived from the original on 13 May 2010.
  8. ↑ "El Espanyol revalida su titulo de la Copa de la Reina". Marca. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  9. 1 2 Roldán, Isabel (27 January 2011). "Sara Mérida se perderá lo que queda de temporada". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  10. ↑ "Sara Mérida pasará por quirófano el 8 de abril". Diario AS (in Spanish). 16 March 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  11. 1 2 Menayo, David (9 March 2012). "Sara Mérida: "Llegué a pensar en dejar el fútbol"". Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  12. ↑ "El Espanyol da la espalda a sus chicas". www.marca.com. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  13. ↑ Sunyer, Jordi (26 March 2012). "El tèrbol atzur de ser tres voltes rebel". Ara Balears (in Catalan). Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  14. ↑ Arroyo, Natalia (18 March 2012). "L'Espanyol i el Barça no fallen". Ara.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  15. ↑ Mendoza, Marta (29 March 2013). ""Me levantaré las veces que haga falta"". La Grada (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  16. ↑ "El Espanyol debe acabar de concretar su plantilla". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 30 June 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "El nuevo proyecto del RCD Espanyol (por Alba Pomares)". VAVEL (in Spanish). 2 July 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  18. 1 2 Martín González, Cesáreo (2 September 2013). "La Copa Catalunya se tiñe de blanquiazul". VAVEL (in Spanish).
  19. ↑ "De Lluís Cortés a Sara del Estal: el fútbol femenino ficha por la Queens League". El Periodico (in Spanish). 16 April 2023.
  20. ↑ "Estos son los equipos y las presidentas de la Queens League". Relevo (in Spanish). 6 May 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  21. ↑ "Porcinas anuncia el fichaje de Adriana Martín, ex del Espanyol, Chelsea o FC Barcelona". MARCA (in Spanish). 23 August 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  22. ↑ Sport (30 July 2023). "Así hemos vivido la Final Four de la Kings League y Queens League | xBuyer Team, campeón del segundo split de la Kings League y PÍO FC, del primero de la Queensde la Queens". sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  23. ↑ Valderas, Moisés (17 August 2023). "Todas los jugadoras 11 y 12 confirmadas para la Queens League 2023/24". ElDesmarque (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  24. ↑ League, Mundo Kings (6 August 2023). "De Porcinas FC a PIO FEMENIL". Mundo Kings League (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  25. ↑ Paula (16 September 2023). "¡PIO sigue imparable y Kunitas y 1k quieren dar la sorpresa en la Queens Cup Oysho!". Queens League (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  26. ↑ Monje, Víctor (11 October 2023). "Queens Cup: Aniquiladoras FC y Pio FC serán las anfitrionas de la fiesta futbolística en Málaga". Meristation (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  27. ↑ "MVP". Queens League (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 13 October 2023.
  28. ↑ "La ganadora del Simyo MVP de los Playoff es Sara Mérida". X (formerly Twitter) (in Spanish). 12 October 2023.
  29. ↑ "PIO Femenil llena la enfermería antes de las finales de la Queens Cup". MARCA (in Spanish). 12 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  30. ↑ Arroyo, Natàlia (22 March 2019). "Quan les lesions imposen un nou camí". Ara Balears (in Catalan). Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  31. ↑ Molero, I. (27 November 2010). ""Mi hermano Fran tira... Pero si gana el Espanyol, tan feliz"". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  32. 1 2 "New Zealand 1 Spain 3". Oceania Football Confederation. 10 September 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  33. ↑ UEFA.com. "Spain-Denmark line-ups | Women's Under-17 2010". UEFA.com. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  34. ↑ UEFA.com (26 June 2010). "Spain clinch title in shoot-out | Women's Under-17". UEFA.com. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  35. ↑ UEFA.com. "Spain-Republic of Ireland line-ups | Women's Under-17 2010 Final". UEFA.com. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  36. ↑ "FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup - Previous Tournaments". FIFA. 13 September 2010. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013.
  37. ↑ "Sara Mérida Pérez". RCD Espanyol. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  38. 1 2 García-Nieto, Álvaro (23 March 2019). ""Carla, tienes dos opciones: seguir llorando o luchar"". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  39. ↑ Hidalgo, Mamen (22 October 2020). "Cómo romper el 'techo del césped' en el fútbol". Newtral (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  40. ↑ Barker, Gabby (1 January 2022). "The New Year for the Barça players". Sports Finding. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  41. 1 2 "Sara Mérida :: Sara Mérida Pérez :: Statistics :: Titles :: History (Timeline) :: Goals Scored :: Fixtures :: Results :: News & Features :: Videos :: Photos :: playmakerstats.com". www.playmakerstats.com. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  42. ↑ "Sara Mérida Pérez Entrenador - Futboleras". www.futboleras.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  43. ↑ Redacció. "Sara Mérida dirigirà el primer Filial femení! - ceeuropa.cat". www.ceeuropa.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  44. 1 2 "2022–23 EUROPA, C.E. B | SEGONA DIVISIO FEMENI". Federació Catalana de Futbol (in Catalan). May 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  45. ↑ Redacció. "Inici de pretemporada per l'Europa B! - ceeuropa.cat". www.ceeuropa.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  46. ↑ "PIO y Porcinas afianzan sus banquillos para seguir triunfando en la Queens League". MARCA (in Spanish). 7 December 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  47. ↑ "FCF | 2023/24 Classificació PRIMERA DIVISIÓ FEMENÍ GRUP 1". Federació Catalana de Futbol (in Catalan). September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
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