Paolo Medina

Paolo Medina

Personal information
Full name	Paolo Medina Etienne[1]
Date of birth	(1999-05-28) 28 May 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth	Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s)	Right-back
Team information
Current team	Unirea Slobozia
Number	15
Youth career
2007–2009	Alcobendas
2009–2017	Real Madrid
2017–2018	Benfica
2018–2019	Monterrey
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2019–2020	Morelia	2	(0)
2020–2021	Panetolikos	16	(0)
2021–2022	Logroñés	23	(0)
2022–2024	Hermannstadt	25	(0)
2024–	Unirea Slobozia	18	(0)
International career
2015	Mexico U16	1	(1)
2017	Mexico U18	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 January 2025

Paolo Medina Etienne (born 28 May 1999) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Liga I club Unirea Slobozia.

Club career

Early career

Born in Orizaba[2] in the Mexican state of Veracruz, Medina moved to Spain at the age of two, joining the academy of Alcobendas.[3] After a couple of seasons he joined Real Madrid, where he initially started as a winger, before moving to full-back.[3] During his time with Los Blancos he struggled with injury, suffering a five-month lay off at the end of 2016.[3]

Despite this, he was seen as a very highly rated prospect in the Real Madrid academy, and in October 2016 he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 1999 worldwide.[4] He was also nominated for the 2017 Golden Boy - a prestigious award given by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport to the best young footballer playing in Europe.[5]

At the conclusion of the 2016–17 season, Medina announced his departure from Real Madrid, before joining Portuguese side Benfica shortly after.[6][7] This move was seen as somewhat of a shock in media, given Medina's potential, but the defender was quoted as saying "Many will think that it is a step backwards, but I really see the opposite... I think it has been the best decision I could have made in my career" upon signing.[8]

Return to Mexico

His spell with Benfica did not last long, and after just one season, he had returned to Mexico, going on trial with Monterrey.[9] He signed a contract with Monterrey in July 2018, but joined fellow-Liga MX side Morelia a year later.[10][11] Having not started in the first half of the season, Medina was handed his league debut by manager Pablo Guede in early 2020, starting in a 1–0 loss to Deportivo Toluca.[12][13] However, by March he had fallen out of favour again, before the season was curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico.[14]

Later career

In August 2020, Greek Super League side Panetolikos announced the signing of Medina on a three-year contract.[15] However after just a year, he had fallen out of favour with manager Giannis Anastasiou, and was linked with a move to Xanthi.[16] Instead he returned to Spain, where he joined Primera División RFEF side Logroñés on a one-year deal.[17]

Having not renewed his contract with Logroñés, Medina moved to Romania, signing with Hermannstadt.[18][19] After two seasons with Hermannstadt, he mutually agreed to terminate his contract with the club.[20] He joined newly-promoted Unirea Slobozia in May 2024.[21]

International career

Medina represented Mexico on at least one occasion at under-16 level, scoring in a 3–1 win against Turkey in the 2015 edition of the Montaigu Tournament.[22] He played in at least one game with the under-18 team two years later, in 2017.[1]

Career statistics

Club

As of 17 January 2025[23]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup[a]		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Morelia	2019–20	Liga MX	2	0	5	0	—		7	0
Panetolikos	2020–21	Super League Greece	16	0	1	0	—		17	0
Logroñés	2021–22	Primera División RFEF	23	0	—		—		23	0
Hermannstadt	2022–23	Liga I	11	0	4	0	—		15	0
	2023–24	Liga I	14	0	3	0	—		17	0
	Total		25	0	7	0	0	0	32	0
Unirea Slobozia	2024–25	Liga I	18	0	0	0	—		18	0
Career total			84	0	13	0	0	0	97	0

1. Includes Copa MX, Greek Cup and Cupa României

References

1. Paolo Medina at WorldFootball.net
2. "Paolo Medina, la promesa del futbol mexicano que terminó jugando en Rumania" [Paolo Medina, the promising Mexican soccer player who ended up playing in Romania]. milenio.com (in Spanish). 4 February 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
3. Piñero, Alberto (8 February 2017). "Así juega Paolo Medina, el juvenil mexicano del Real Madrid" [This is how Paolo Medina, the Mexican youth player from Real Madrid, plays] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
4. Christenson, Marcus; Powell, Jim (6 October 2016). "Next Generation 2016: 60 of the best young talents in world football". theguardian.com. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
5. "Benfica confirmó la llegada del mexicano Paolo Medina" [Benfica confirmed the arrival of Mexican Paolo Medina]. goal.com (in Spanish). 29 August 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
6. "Paolo Medina se despide del Madrid con conmovedor mensaje" [Paolo Medina says goodbye to Madrid with a moving message]. record.com.mx (in Spanish). 20 August 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
7. "Paolo Medina assina pelos Juniores" [Paolo Medina signs for the Juniors]. slbenfica.pt (in Portuguese). 29 August 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
8. "El extraño fichaje de Paolo Medina con el Benfica" [Paolo Medina's strange signing with Benfica]. goal.com (in Spanish). 19 September 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
9. Sánchez, Mariano (9 July 2018). "Paolo Medina, el mexicano que pasó por Real Madrid y Benfica" [Paolo Medina, the Mexican who played for Real Madrid and Benfica]. mexico.as.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 January 2025.
10. "#EnLaRaya - Paolo Medina". rayados.com (in Spanish). 28 July 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
11. "Morelia fichó a Paolo Medina, mexicano formado en inferiores del Real Madrid" [Morelia signed Paolo Medina, a Mexican who came through Real Madrid's youth system]. record.com.mx (in Spanish). 12 July 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
12. "Paolo Medina, de Real Madrid a su debut en Liga MX con Morelia" [Paolo Medina, from Real Madrid to his Liga MX debut with Morelia]. espn.com.mx (in Spanish). 11 January 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
13. "Paolo Medina, promesa con fogueo Internacional" [Paolo Medina, a promising player with international experience]. quadratin.com.mx (in Spanish). 14 January 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
14. Franco, Fernando (28 March 2020). "Paolo Medina, de joya del Real Madrid y Benfica a estar 'borrado' en el Morelia" [Paolo Medina, from a jewel of Real Madrid and Benfica to being 'erased' in Morelia]. goal.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 January 2025.
15. "Παναιτωλικός : Και επίσημα ο Μεντίνα" [Panaitolikos: Medina is now official]. agrinioculture.gr (in Greek). 29 August 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
16. "Στο στόχαστρό της Ξάνθης ο Πάολο Μεντίνα" [Paolo Medina is in Xanthi's sights]. agrinionews.gr (in Greek). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
17. "Paolo Medina, nuevo refuerzo para la UD Logroñés" [Paolo Medina, new reinforcement for UD Logroñés]. nuevecuatrouno.com (in Spanish). 18 July 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
18. "Un jucător trecut pe la Real Madrid și Benfica a semnat cu o nou-promovată din Liga 1" [A player who played for Real Madrid and Benfica has signed with a newly promoted team from Liga 1]. digisport.ro (in Romanian). 19 July 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
19. "Qué sigue para Paolo Medina, el joven mexicano que fue canterano del Real Madrid" [What's next for Paolo Medina, the young Mexican who was a Real Madrid youth player?]. futboltotal.com.mx (in Spanish). 22 July 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
20. "A plecat de la Hermannstadt! Fotbalistul e așteptat la o nou-promovată din SuperLiga" [He left Hermannstadt! The footballer is expected in a newly promoted SuperLiga]. digisport.ro (in Romanian). 5 June 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
21. Dumitru, Carmen (25 May 2024). "Cel mai nou transfer din Superliga: Măldărășanu pierde jucător după jucător" [The latest transfer from the Super League: Măldărășanu loses player after player]. gsp.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 22 January 2025.
22. "Mexico 3–1 Turkey". tff.org. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
23. Paolo Medina at Soccerway. Retrieved 13 December 2019.

External links

• Paolo Medina at ForaDeJogo (archived)