New Manchester United man Juan Mata
has admitted in an open letter to Chelsea
fans that he intended on staying at the
club for as long as they wanted him.
Mata yesterday completed his
£37.1million deal to take him away from
Stamford Bridge, but the Spanish
midfielder has seemed to make it clear
that it wasn’t what he wanted.
After becoming a fans’ favourite at
Chelsea, it seemed like Mata could
possibly follow the likes of Frank
Lampard and John Terry in becoming a
Blues legend, but when Jose Mourinho
came in the summer, Mata found himself
out of favour and sitting on the bench
for the last six months.
It did not look as if he was going to move
in January, but after Mata was
substituted against Southampton on New
Year’s Day, he reacted angrily and made
it clear that he was frustrated with his
limited chances with the Blues.
With him being the club’s player of the
year for the last two seasons, it was
strange as to why Mourinho didn’t take a
liking to him.
Letter
Mata said this in his letter, as reported by
ESPN: “Before last summer, my intention
was to stay here for a long time; as long
as the club wanted me to, and to keep
winning trophies for Chelsea FC.
“This is how happy I was in the club and
in the city.
“I will never forget all the affection given
to me by the Chelsea fans. From the very
first day until the last. I will always feel
the gratitude towards you. Always.
“I have experienced some complicated
situations from a personal point of view,
mainly during the last six months.
“Every message I got through the social
media, every nice word you have said to
me on the street, and of course, your
support in the stadium, has made me feel
incredibly proud of the Chelsea fans.
“I won’t forget the faith you put in me
when I was given the player of the year
award the last two seasons. I feel really
proud and I will never forget those
nights.
“Thank you so much for the way you
have treated me, you have been
unbelievable.
“I hope you understand that after going
through a complicated and, for me, new
situation in the last few months, I
believe this is the best choice in order to
carry on with my football career and to
keep enjoying this sport.
“I thank all my former team mates and I
wish them the best. My years in Chelsea
have left me with great friends. Friends
forever, football rivalries aside.”
Debut
Mata is now expected to make his debut
for Manchester United on Tuesday
against Cardiff City, but it could very
well be from the bench.
He has already been greeted by his new
team-mates, with Rio Ferdinand, Robin
van Persie and David de Gea posting
messages on Twitter.
The signing of Mata has excited the
United fans and in general football fans,
as he is one of Europe’s best playmakers
and him staying in the Premier League is
only positive for the league.
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