Here are some facts you need to know about Juan Mata
Juan Mata (Full Name – Juan Manuel Mata García) is a Spanish midfielder born on 28 April, 1988 in Villafranca Montes de Oca, Burgos, Spain. He is considered as one of the best midfielders of this generation because of his great tackling and ball possession skills.
- Full name: Juan Manuel Mata García
- Nickname: Johnny Kills
- Date of birth: 28 April 1988
- Birth Place: Villafranca Montes de Oca, Burgos, Spain
- Zodiac sign: Taurus
- Ethnicity: White Spanish
- Religion: Atheist
- Age: 32 Years
- Height: 170 Centimeters
- Weight: 63 kg
- Father: Juan Manuel Mata Rodriguez
- Mother: Marta Garcia
- Brother(s): No one
- Sister (s): Paula Mata
- Marital Status: Unmarried
- Wife/EX-Girlfriend: Evelina Kamph
- Children: No one
Childhood
Juan Mata’s father was also a football player despite the fact that his family has never had a footballer’s physique. Juan Manuel Mata Rodrguez wanted his son Juan Mata to follow in his footsteps and become a bigger football player.
Mata’s father supported him a lot in every situation and never made him feel any shortage of youth football opportunities. He was so passionate about football and his parents were overjoyed for him. They would encourage him to bring his football to bed with him.
Club Career
Juan Mata’s first ever professional club was Valencia. In March 2007, he signed a contract with Valencia with it starting on June 30, 2007. He scored a goal against his former club Real Madrid in a 3–2 first-leg victory in the 2008 Spanish SuperCup. Unfortunately, Valencia lost 5–6 on aggregate following a 2–4 away defeat in the second round.
On August 24, 2011, Juan Mata signed a five-year contract with Chelsea for a fee of £23.5 million. The person who persuaded him to play in the Premier League was none other than his former national teammate Fernando Torres.
On August 26, 2011, Yossi Benayoun gave Mata his number 10 shirt. The Israeli legend said: “I choose the number 10 for Mata because it is his favorite. It’s just a number to me, not my lucky 15.”
Mata spent a lot of time on the bench under the coaching of José Mourinho. He failed to make it in Mourinho’s first team, starting just 11 of Chelsea’s 22 Premier League games. Over the course of two and a half seasons with Chelsea, Mata scored 33 goals and provided 58 assists in 135 appearances.
On January 24, 2014, Manchester United signed a four-year deal with the Spaniard for a then-club-record fee of £37.1 million (€46 million). He helped United in many big occasions from assisting to scoring. Do you remember his volley against Liverpool?
International Career
Juan Mata helped Spain win 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. With four goals in five games, he ended second to his teammate Alberto Bueno (five goals) as the top goal scorer in the championship.
At the age of 18 years, manager Vicente del Bosque called Mata up to the senior squad for a friendly against Chile on November 14, 2008. However, he he did not come off the bench in the 3-0 victory.
On March 28, 2009, he finally made his debut in a 1–0 victory over Turkey in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Madrid. In the 63rd minute, he came on as a replacement for teammate David Villa.
In 2011, Mata helped Spain lift the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Denmark. He was declared the tournament’s Golden Player and was named to UEFA’s Team of the Tournament.
Awards & Achievements
- FIFA WORLD CUP X1
- UEFA EURO X1
- UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE X1
- UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE X2
- FA CUP X2
- LA LIGA X1
- CARABAO CUP X1
- EUROPEAN UNDER-21 X1
- EUROPEAN UNDER-19 X1
- FA COMMUNITY SHIELD X1
Personal Life
Juan Mata has been in relationship with his girlfriend Evelina Kamph since 2013. The couple doesn’t have children yet.
Marta Garcia, Mata’s mother, had shielded herself from the media for personal purposes. She’s considerably older than his father. His mother is a housewife who spends much of her time at home, caring for her husband and children.
