This week, the British media revealed that Manchester United intends to issue a new contract to 33-year-old veteran Juan Mata to retire and become a coach. In the following pre-Champions League press conference, interim manager Ronnick was also asked why he did not use Mata, and the German gave the answer that the competition for the same position was too fierce.
Mata has yet to pass the Premier League this season and is afraid he will never get another chance. United have only two fronts in the Premier League and the Champions League, Lonnick will only use bruno Fernandez, Pogba and other younger midfielders, and Juan Mata is destined to watch from the sidelines. To date, Mata has made just two starts in four appearances, against West Ham in the League Cup and against the Bernese youngsters in the final round of the Champions League group stage. Rangnick said Mata was a victim of fierce competition at United and his career at the club was coming to an end.
"He's also very popular with our team." Lonnick explains, "I think everyone in the dressing room is very fond of Juan (Mata) and he can still play at this level, but it's a matter of competition. We have a lot of players to play as midfielders, like tomorrow's Champions League game and I'm going to have to choose between five or six players."
Although largely abandoned, Mata has never complained, and he still gets along well with competitors such as Fernandez in training, which can be described as a model of behavior among professional players. That's why Manchester United want to keep him as a coach, and if every player can be as professional as Mata, the dressing room will be fine.
The manchester United club has developed a plan to invite Juan Mata to coach the Manchester United youth team and use his skills and experience to develop the next generation of players, while the 9-year veteran of the club can also play the role of ambassador for the club.
However, the British media also confirmed that Mata may feel that he can continue to play on the pitch, and some clubs in La Liga have issued invitations to him, including Barca, so the Spanish warm man may not be willing to hang up his boots, if so, after the expiration of this summer's contract, Mata will be free to transfer and leave.
Mata also recently voted the best squad for his career team-mates, with goalkeeper positions having United's friend De Gea, United's Evra and Rio Ferdinand on the defensive line, Chelsea's Terry and Ivanovic, the midfield consisting of Manchester United's Giggs, Carrick Carrick and Chelsea's Lampard, and the front line is Manchester United's Rooney, Chelsea's Drogba and Valencia's Spanish striker David Villa.
Interestingly, in the best manager position he has worked with, Mata has chosen Dutchman Ronald Koeman and ignored the likes of Jose Mourinho, Bosque and Van Gaal. "This may surprise some people, but I owe him too much." Mata explains, "At the age of 19, I had a tough time in Valencia and didn't play much. Once Koeman saw me in training, pulled me aside and said, 'I think you have the ability to play, so keep working hard and play with confidence, I have confidence in you and I want you to express yourself to the fullest.' Koeman was the first coach in professional football to trust me, although the players in my position were more experienced, such as Vicente."