Juan Mata has spoken of his support for the appointment of Jose Mourinho as Chelsea manager, and has set his sights on a title challenge for the upcoming season.
It was confirmed earlier this week that Mourinho will be leaving Real Madrid come the end of the season, and indeed this news was not met with surprise. He has endured a conflictive period in Spain, clashing with both the media and his own players, and the decision to part ways with Real Madrid is certainly a mutual one.
For most his arrival at Chelsea is not just a possibility but expected, with the announcement of his appointment likely to be after the end of the La Liga season. Juan Mata is the latest of a number of Chelsea players to speak out in favour of the potential appointment.
[quote]Jose is one of the best. He won everything in every country he was – in Portugal, in Italy, in London with Chelsea, and in Spain as well. We don’t know really know what is going to happen but if he comes he is welcome because he is one of the best and Chelsea always want to be a top side. If he comes we are going to be happy to have him.[/quote]
He became a fans’ favourite during his first spell with Chelsea between 2004 and 2007, winning two Premier League titles, and FA Cup, two League Cups and a Community Shield.
He may have won one La Liga, one Copa del Rey and the Spanish equivalent of the Community Shield in Madrid, but the expectations of the club and the fans are perhaps the highest in the world. The expectations at Chelsea are not much lower though, and the patience of the Roman Abramovic certainly isn’t, but he will have the benefit of his past achievements that will likely see Chelsea place a lot of confidence in him should he be appointed.
Mata spoke of the pressure that Mourinho would have faced while in Spain, and of his title aspirations for the 2013/14 season:
[quote]What I know is that Madrid is a massive club with a lot of pressure on them, and it shouldn’t be easy to be manager of Real Madrid. If he comes we will try and do our best with him, or whoever, to win the title, because one challenge for me will be to win the Premier League.[/quote]
Mata has enjoyed a very successful opening two season in the Premier League, both with the team and from a personal perspective. He has already won the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup, whilst picking up Chelsea’s player of the year twice in a row.
The natural next step for him will be to add a Premier league winners medal to his collection. Since Manchester United and Manchester City are also changing managers, there will be an opportunity for Mata and Chelsea to make up for their shortcomings in the League this season. With the likely return of Mourinho and his experience in England, winning the league is certainly a realistic objective.
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