Luis Mena (Chilean footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Luis Mena

| image = Luis Mena en 2013.jpg

| fullname = Luis Arturo Mena Irarrázabal

| height = {{convert|1.78|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|8|28|df=y}}

| birth_place = Puente Alto, Santiago, Chile

| currentclub = Chile Women (manager)

| clubnumber =

| position = Centre back

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Colo-Colo

| years1 = 1996–2014

| clubs1 = Colo-Colo

| caps1 = 322

| goals1 = 7

| years2 = 2001

| clubs2 = → Deportes Puerto Montt (loan)

| caps2 = 21

| goals2 = 0

| totalcaps = 343

| totalgoals = 7

| nationalyears1 = 1998–1999

| nationalteam1 = Chile U20

| nationalyears2 = 1999

| nationalteam2 = Chile

| nationalcaps2 = 1

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| managerclubs1 = Colo-Colo (women)

| manageryears1 = 2021-2023

| manageryears2 = 2023-

| managerclubs2 = Chile Women

}}

Luis Arturo Mena Irarrázabal (born 28 August 1979) is a retired Chilean professional footballer. He is the only player in Chilean football history to win more than 10 domestic league titles. He also holds more than 300 appearances for Colo-Colo, with seven goals. Because of this, Mena has been dubbed by Chilean press and Colo Colo fans as the "historic one" (el historico).

Football career

Mena made his professional debut with Colo-Colo on November 26, 1996, in the final of the Copa Chile against Rangers. He has spent his entire career, except one year when he was playing on loan at Puerto Montt, playing with Colo-Colo as a defender.

In the 2000s, and whilst he was playing for Colo-Colo, he also studied a technical-professional career in physical activity at the University of the Americas, where also was classmate of his teammates Claudio Bravo, Fernando Meneses and Miguel Riffo.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latercera.com/noticia/estos-son-los-ilustrados-de-la-roja/|title=Estos son los ilustrados de la Roja|publisher=La Tercera|first1=Carlos|last1=González Lucay|date=23 June 2014|access-date=19 April 2022}}

Mena was the captain of the Under-20 Chile national team between 1998 and 1999, also winning the L'Alcúdia Tournament in 1998.{{cite web |last1=Roggero |first1=José |title=¡La Roja sub 20 es campeona en L’Alcúdia! |url=https://www.elmostrador.cl/dia/2015/08/19/la-roja-sub-20-es-campeona-en-lalcudia/ |website=El Mostrador |access-date=17 October 2022 |language=es |date=19 August 2015}} He has been described as "not the most flashiest or talented footballer", but Mena is known for his loyalty to Colo-Colo and his calm leadership on the field.{{cite web|title=[Perfiles] Luis Mena "El Incombustible Multicampeón"|url=http://charlatecnica.cl/2011/11/perfiles-luis-mena-el-incombustible-multicampeon/|publisher=Charla Technica|access-date=14 April 2013}}

Managing career

Luis Mena became the interim head coach for Colo-Colo women in January 2021, replacing Vanessa Arauz.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-11|title=Luis Mena confirmado como el nuevo DT de Colo Colo Femenino -|url=https://www.contragolpe.cl/luis-mena-confirmado-como-el-nuevo-dt-de-colo-colo-femenino/|access-date=2021-06-09|website=Contragolpe|language=es-CL}} On 24 February 2021, he was officially appointed as the head coach.{{Cite web|date=2021-02-25|title=Luis Mena renueva como DT de Colo-Colo para 2021|url=https://www.contragolpe.cl/luis-mena-renueva-como-dt-de-colo-colo-para-2021/|access-date=2021-06-09|website=Contragolpe|language=es-CL}}