He was the 犠牲者 of an 武装した 強盗 支援する home in Colombia and his brother was 殺人d just weeks later - but somehow Stiven Mendoza put a 悲劇の and traumatic summer behind him to climb the Ligue 1 得点する／非難する／２０ing charts

• e-mail

Stiven Mendoza was stuck in traffic along a typically busy street in Medellin, the second-largest city in his home country and one renowned for its bustling nature.?

As the Colombian sat there waiting, a scooter またがるd by two 人物／姿／数字s, 身元s disguised by helmets, pulled up と一緒に.?

One of the riders opened the car door and raised his 武器 at the 27-year-old Mendoza before 掴むing his jewellery. The 加害者s then sped away.

Mendoza wasn't to know that 存在 robbed 銃をつきつけて wouldn't be the darkest moment of a 深く，強烈に traumatic summer for Amiens 星／主役にする.?

Stiven paid 尊敬の印 to his brother Yeison after 得点する／非難する／２０ing upon his return to the Amiens team in September. Yeison was 殺人d in Colombia during the summer,

He had been 許すd to return to Colombia to ponder on his 未来 and 潜在的に 安全な・保証する a move away from the French 最高の，を越す flight after failing to impress since leaving Corinthians in January 2018. に引き続いて a barren （一定の）期間 of just four goals in 41 外見s for Amiens, he was 認めるd leave to 反映する on a pivotal 決定／判定勝ち（する） that held the 可能性のある to make or break his career.

But upon 長，率いるing 支援する to South America, Mendoza had been thrust 長，率いる on into 騒動. The thieves 報道によれば escaped with two gold chains and a bracelet, 速く transforming what was meant to be a simple trip 支援する home into a nightmare.

The に引き続いて month, things became even darker. After Mendoza had returned to training in フラン and watched on from the sidelines as Amiens fell to three 敗北・負かすs in their 開始 four matches, 災害 struck again in horrifying fashion. Mendoza’s brother, Yeison, was gunned 負かす／撃墜する inside his 乗り物 in Cali, Colombia, just moments after leaving his mother’s house.

Mendoza's car had been stuck in traffic in Medellin when the 武装した 強盗 took place

Two helmet-覆う？ 人物／姿／数字s pulled up next to the 乗り物 and one approached with a 武器

Mendoza 報道によれば 手渡す ed over two gold chains and a bracelet before the 加害者s left

The 25-year-old, also a footballer, had been searching for a new club に引き続いて a 簡潔な／要約する stay with Valledupar. But on the night of September 5, Yeison’s 殺し屋 was caught in （映画の）フィート数 from a 安全 camera dismounting a motorcycle before 解雇する／砲火／射撃ing 11 冷淡な-血d 発射s, three of which 攻撃する，衝突する Yeison.

悲劇 had once again struck the Mendoza family to its very 核心. Stiven's 未来 was once more thrown into 疑問.

He decided to stay with Amiens にもかかわらず 申し込む／申し出s having 報道によれば been 受託するd from ロシアの outfit Krasnodar and 無名の clubs in Spain and the 湾.

Speaking in September, 経営者／支配人 Luka Elsner said: 'Steven has exceptional mental strength. The 悲劇の events have made him 円熟した.'??

Short of 選択s up 前線 Elsner had 解任するd Mendoza to the starting line-up for a 衝突／不一致 against Bordeaux on September 25 for what would be his first 外見 of the （選挙などの）運動をする. Having fought majestically against the 不明瞭 that had enshrouded him during the off-season, he re-発表するd himself in みごたえのある fashion.?

Just 106 seconds passed of his season's 屈服する before he netted. The finish was delightfully simple, a の近くに-範囲 tap-in just a 事柄 of インチs from the goal line. The 急ぐ of emotion outpouring from the Colombian was evident, and まっただ中に a whirlwind of ecstasy and 嘆く／悼むing Mendoza 解除するd his jersey to 明らかにする／漏らす a touching 尊敬の印 to his late brother.

The Amiens 星／主役にする fell to his 膝s after netting the 勝利者 in a 3-1 victory against Marseille

With his 回復 from the doldrums of despair （機の）カム glowing 賞賛する from Elsner, who said: ‘にもかかわらず everything he’s gone through in 最近の months, his 質s have never been in question.’

Elsner himself is a young coach with a point to 証明する and Mendoza’s heroics have helped 橋（渡しをする） the 初期の divide between the two 人物／姿／数字s.?

The 星／主役にする’s personality has noticeably changed, and his formidable form in 前線 of goal is a 完全にする contrast to his former self, who was （刑事）被告 of a 欠如（する） of 成果／努力 and an 試みる／企てるd 移転 request.

That 批評 was a far cry from Nicolas Anelka's 予測 four years ago when managing and playing in India for Mumbai City while Mendoza had a stint with Chennai.?

'He is 迅速な and knows where the goal is. I would like to see him 後継する in Europe,'?said the 井戸／弁護士席-travelled Anelka.?

The 完全にする 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） of clubs Mendoza has 代表するd, while not やめる as long as Anelka's, reads Envigado, America Cali, Cucuta Deportivo, Deportivo Cali, Chennai, Corinthians, New York City, Bahia and stops, for now, at Amiens.?

The success Anelka wished for him finally appears to be coming.?

Any talk of 疑わしい かかわり合い from Mendoza was banished four days after his maiden strike of the season, with a smart finish from a cutback against 怒り／怒るs. With the 逮捕する still rippling, Mendoza 崩壊（する）d to his k nees and signalled に向かって the heavens.?

In the 衝突／不一致 with Marseille just a week later, the striker was slotted through on goal and kept his composure to 調印（する） victory. The 高さs of emotion had been 規模d once again, and a touching outpouring of support from the Amiens 側近 soon followed.

The 27-year-old has 得点する／非難する／２０d four goals in six Ligue 1 外見s since his 悲劇-攻撃する，衝突する summer

Gone are the days of 転換ing aimlessly from club to club in desperate search of a long-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 home, and his 試みる／企てるs to 軍隊 through a move in the summer are forgotten.

And there has been a その上の silver lining, too. His 業績／成果s have caught the attention of Colombia 国家の team coach?Carlos Queiroz, who 含むd Mendoza in his squad for 近づいている fixtures against Ecuador and Peru.?

承認 on the biggest 行う／開催する／段階 of them all を強調するs his remarkable turnaround.

The international 希望に満ちた 具体的に表現するs the hope and wealth of 適切な時期s that football can 供給する. From the very depths of 不明瞭 Mendoza has, piece by piece, reestablished himself as a standout performer in one of Europe's エリート leagues. And along the way he has 論証するd time and time again that there is always light at the end of the tunnel, 関わりなく how faint it may seem.?