Juan Mata

Rare card · No. 24191

Juan Manuel Mata García (Spanish: [xwan maˈnwel ˈmata ɡaɾˈθi.a]; born 28 April 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder, most recently for A-League Men club Melbourne Victory. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder, but can also play as a winger. A graduate of Real Madrid's youth academy, Mata played for Real Madrid Castilla in 2006–07, before joining Valencia in the summer of 2007. He became an integral part of the club's midfield, making 174 appearances over the course of four seasons and winning the Copa del Rey. In 2011, Mata signed for English club Chelsea for a fee believed to be in the region of €28 million and established himself as the team's focal player. In his first two seasons, he won the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Europa League. Despite Mata's stature at the club, he fell out of favour at Chelsea under newly appointed manager José Mourinho and was sold to Manchester United in January 2014, for a fee of £37.1 million....

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