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.