| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Grigori Giovanni Méndez Granados | ||
| Date of birth | (1972-12-30)30 December 1972 (age 52) | ||
| Place of birth | Bogotá, Colombia | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Santa Fe (interim manager) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–2000 | Santa Fe | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2007–2010 | Academia (youth) | ||
| 2010 | Academia (interim) | ||
| 2010 | Academia (assistant) | ||
| 2010–2021 | Santa Fe (youth) | ||
| 2019 | Santa Fe (assistant) | ||
| 2021 | Santa Fe | ||
| 2022 | Santa Fe (youth) | ||
| 2022 | Santa Fe (interim) | ||
| 2022 | Jaguares de Córdoba | ||
| 2023–2025 | Barranquilla (assistant) | ||
| 2025 | Barranquilla | ||
| 2025– | Santa Fe (interim) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Grigori Giovanni Méndez Granados (born 30 December 1972) is a Colombianfootballmanager and former footballer who played as adefender. He is the current interim manager ofIndependiente Santa Fe.
Méndez was born inBogotá, and played forIndependiente Santa Fe before moving to the United States in 2000 to work as a women's coach. He subsequently worked in Argentina withQuilmes before returning to his home country to work atAcademia.[1]
In 2010, Méndez returned to Santa Fe to work as a youth coach.[2] He was also an assistant manager of the main squad in 2019, whenGerardo Bedoya was a manager.[3]
On 23 August 2021, Méndez was named manager of Santa Fe's main squad, replacingHarold Rivera.[4] He remained in the position until the end of the season when he was recalled to the club's under-20 squad,[5] but was appointed as interim manager of the first squad shortly after the dismissal of managerMartín Cardetti in late April 2022.[6]
On 27 May 2022, Méndez was announced as manager ofJaguares de Córdoba.[7] On 13 September, Jaguares announced his resignation from the position.[8]
On 22 November 2022, Méndez joinedCategoría Primera B clubBarranquilla as an assistant to Nelson Flórez.[9] He was part of Flórez's coaching staff at Barranquilla until 28 March 2025, when the club announced the coach's departure and subsequently promoted Méndez to head coach.[10] Méndez left Barranquilla on 23 July 2025.[11]
Méndez returned to Santa Fe as an interim manager along with Francisco López on 24 September 2025, following the resignation ofJorge Bava.[12]