Juan Mata

MATA: SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY Juan Mata is hopeful the Blues can emulate our European success of a few months ago and lift the UEFA Super Cup tonight...

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DI MATTEO: CESAR OFFERS OPTIONS - 24.08.2012
Cesar Azpilicueta completed his first Chelsea training session at Cobham on Friday, before his manager and a team-mate gave their thoughts on the Spaniard.
MATA: SPANISH STYLE - 19.08.2012
As Juan Mata prepares himself for a second season in English football, he does so with more than a hint of his homeland in mind...
WORDS WITH: JUAN MATA - 16.08.2012
Last season's Player of the Year is the first of the new campaign to sit down for a major interview, talking us through a hectic few months.
NO LET UP - 15.08.2012
With squad numbers low due to international duty, assistant first team coach Steve Holland believes the focus in this week's training is more on individual advancement than collective cohesion.
MATA: FEELING CONFIDENT - 08.08.2012
After a lengthy absence due to his involvement with the Spanish national side, Juan Mata has returned to pre-season training at Cobham...
TWO MORE BACK IN TRAINING - 07.08.2012
Juan Mata and Oriol Romeu return to Cobham today as we take a step closer to a full complement of players.
MATA: LEARNING IN DEFEAT - 02.08.2012
Juan Mata struggled to explain Spain's poor performance at the Olympics but believes they will quickly bounce back from the disappointment.
STURRIDGE THE HERO AS GB PROGRESS - 01.08.2012
Daniel Sturridge scored the decisive goal as Team GB booked their place in the Olympic quarter-finals, while Spain were eliminated without scoring a single goal...
STURRIDGE AND OSCAR SHINE AT OLYMPICS - 29.07.2012
Daniel Sturridge came off the bench to inspire Team GB to victory over UAE, while elsewhere there were mixed results for the Chelsea contingent at the Olympics...
DI MATTEO: OPPORTUNITIES FOR OLYMPIANS - 05.07.2012
Roberto Di Matteo has been discussing the involvement of Chelsea players at this summer's London Olympics...
MATA AND ROMEU IN OLYMPIC CONTENTION - 03.07.2012
Juan Mata and Oriol Romeu have been selected by Spain for a training squad ahead of the London Olympics.
MY FIRST DAY: PART TWO - 03.07.2012
The first day in any new workplace can often be a daunting one, but how does it feel when you join a top, Premier League football club?
DOUBLE DELIGHT FOR TORRES - 02.07.2012
Fernando Torres reflected on Spain's European Championship triumph and paid tribute to the attitude of his teammates...
TORRES AND MATA EURO CHAMPIONS FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY - 01.07.2012
There was a wonderful end to Euro 2012 for Fernando Torres and Juan Mata who both scored in a 4-0 win over Italy in the final...
EURO 2012: SPAIN STAND ON THE BRINK - 30.06.2012
It remains to be seen whether Fernando Torres will be involved in the Euro 2012 Final, while Juan Mata has been an unused substitute in every game thus far...
PENALTY MISERY FOR MEIRELES AND PORTUGAL - 28.06.2012
Fernando Torres and Juan Mata were unused substitutes as holders Spain booked their place in the final of Euro 2012...
SPANISH STARS KEEN TO EARN THEIR TOUR STRIPES - 27.06.2012
Juan Mata and Oriol Romeu are looking forward to their first Chelsea tour when we head to America this summer...
LOOKING BACK: NO 10 - 24.06.2012
To say it was a memorable debut season at Stamford Bridge for the diminutive playmaker would be something of an understatement...
SLICK SPAIN CRUISE INTO SEMIS - 23.06.2012
Fernando Torres was a second half substitute as Spain became the third team to qualify for the semi-finals of Euro 2012...
SPAIN MARCH ON AT EUROS - 19.06.2012
Fernando Torres played just over an hour for Spain as they booked a place in the quarter-finals of the European Championships...
INTERNATIONAL ROUND-UP - 04.06.2012
Both Fernando Torres and Juan Mata came off the bench as Spain signed off from their Euro 2012 warm-up programme with a 1-0 win against China...
EURO 2012 PREVIEW: SPAIN - 04.06.2012
The current holders and world champions go into the tournament as strong favourites, and with good reason...
MATA: DREAM BELIEVER - 21.05.2012
Juan Mata, having held the European Cup in his hands, spoke about the long-held ambition he fulfilled...
MATA'S FA CUP - SO FAR SO GOOD - 03.05.2012
If Juan Mata was new to the FA Cup when he arrived at the start of the season, he will certainly know all about by the end of this coming weekend...
MATA: NEVER GIVE UP - 09.04.2012
Juan Mata believes that with the help of a little bit of luck, perseverance paid off against Wigan on Saturday.
TOTTENHAM GAME REALLY MATA'S - 23.03.2012
Seven months ago when Juan Mata arrived at Chelsea from Valencia, he knew matches against Tottenham were important...
TORRES: PLAYING WITH THE PLAYMAKERS - 21.03.2012
Tonight Juan Mata and David Silva are in competition for three important points. With knowledge of how both his fellow Spaniards play, Fernando Torres has spoken about similarities and differences…
MATA: IT'S LIKE A FINAL - 12.03.2012
After grinding out victory against Stoke on Saturday, Juan Mata says we must take momentum into Wednesday's game with Napoli and press the Italians from the first minute.
MATA: OUR OBJECTIVES - 08.03.2012
Juan Mata, scorer of the first Chelsea goal under Roberto Di Matteo's leadership, says we must now look forward as the season enters its critical stage.
MATA: WE CAN DO IT - 22.02.2012
The Chelsea camp was clear before last night's game that nothing would be decided by the first leg and afterwards Juan Mata spoke of his optimism Chelsea can turn the tie around...

Name: Juan Mata
Nationality: Spanish
Date of Birth: 28/04/1988
Height: 174 cm
Weight: 61.0 kg
Previous Clubs: Valencia, Valencia
Position: Striker

Chelsea career

Mata became the third Spaniard to join Chelsea in 2011, following international team-mate and fellow World Cup-winner Fernando Torres and Oriol Romeu, who arrived from Barcelona earlier in August 2011.

Primarily a left-winger, he can also operate down the middle and has outlined his desire to adapt quickly to English football. Yossi Benayoun's anticipated departure, eventually to Arsenal on loan, freed up his favoured number 10 jersey.

He certainly looked at home on his debut, appearing as a substitute against Norwich City and slotting home the final goal in a 3-1 win in late August.

That positive performance has been consistently replicated throughout his first season in English football, with 11 goals notched up by the end of March, including a crucial away goal in Naples, a winning penalty against QPR in the FA Cup and a stunning volley against Manchester United in early February.

The mercurial Mata has certainly made himself a fans' favourite, and a recent switch to a more central role in between the main striker has allowed him greater licence to roam and create from a central position. His importance is evident by the fact he has missed just one game since December, remaining a constant in the team under both Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo.

He starred in the FA Cup Final against Liverpool, laying on the opening goal for Ramires, and while he missed our first penalty in the Champions League Final shoot-out, he ended his first season in England with two medals and a club Player of the Year award.

Pre-Chelsea

Mata is the son of a former professional, Juan, who represented Burgos and Salamanca. Juan Jr began his career in Real Madrid's famed Academy as a striker, but was allowed to move to Valencia in the summer of 2007.

In his first season he gradually played his way into the side, and appeared at Stamford Bridge as a substitute in a Champions League dead rubber. At the end of the season he scored in the Copa Del Rey final, and was voted the club's Young Player of the Year.

After four years at the Mestalla, in which he scored 43 times in 179 appearances, Mata spoke with Andre Villas-Boas and was convinced Stamford Bridge was the place for him despite interest from other clubs.

International

Juan was a part of the Spain squad that won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, having made his debut in 2009. He made one appearance as a substitute during the tournament, replacing Fernando Torres.

Upon signing for Chelsea he had 12 senior caps, but is also an experienced Under 21 international, and captained Spain to glory at the 2011 European Championships, being voted into the Team of the Tournament.

He was selected as part of Spain's squad for the European Championships.

Competition	Apps (as sub)	Goals	Yellow Cards	Red Cards
League	2 (0)	0	0	0

Career History:
Club	Season	Comp.	Apps (as sub)	Goals
Chelsea	2011 - 12	League	34 (5)	6
		FA Cup	7 (0)	4
		League Cup	1 (1)	0
		Euro Cups	12 (1)	2
Valencia	2010 - 11	League	33 (2)	8
		FA Cup	1 (0)	0
		Euro Cups	7 (2)	1
	2009 - 10	League	35 (5)	9
		FA Cup	1 (0)	0
		Euro Cups	12 (2)	5
	2008 - 09	League	37 (2)	11
		FA Cup	2 (1)	1
		Euro Cups	6 (3)	1
	2007 - 08	League	24 (7)	5
		FA Cup	7 (1)	4
		Euro Cups	1 (1)	0