Following his much-talked about move to rivals Manchester United,
former Chelsea playmaker Juan Mata has written an open letter to Chelsea
fans thanking them and explaining his actions.
Mata revealed that the “complicated situations from a personal point
of view, mainly during the last six months” that led him to the £37.1m
move.
Mata offered an extended thank you to Chelsea and the club’s fans,
with the 25-year-old, who was Chelsea’s player of the season for the
past two years, entitling the message: “I will never forget my time in
Chelsea: thank you!”
Mata touched upon his difficulties in being dropped by José Mourinho,
the manager. “There has been plenty of good moments: the FA Cup, my
first trophy as a Blue, the immense happiness of winning titles for the
first time in the club’s history, such as that magical Champions League
night in Munich and the Europa League,” he said.
“On the other hand, 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; you deserve a team like
the one you’ve got, with so many fantastic players.
The Spanish playmaker added: “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.
Despite Mourinho’s view of Mata meaning he should leave Chelsea to
further his career, Mata still thanked the Portuguese manager. “To José,
for making me a stronger player, because in difficult moments, I have
learnt to remain positive and to keep working hard,” he said.