Mata: I’m not thinking about retiring, I still remember my pure love for football

November 7th Spanish veteran Mata was interviewed recently and talked about his experience of joining Melbourne Victory in the Australian Super League this summer, as well as his subsequent experience.

After his contract with the Western Sydney Wanderers ended, Mata flew back to Australia to sign for Melbourne Victory only a few days later. The signing process itself was a marathon, with Mata first flying from Europe to San Diego, where he handles matters as a shareholder of San Diego FC in Major League Soccer, and then across the Pacific to Melbourne. He went straight from the airport to the stadium to complete the signing, and immediately attended the media meeting at Federation Square.

At this moment, he has gone through a four-hour flight (equivalent to the distance from London to Moscow) to join the team's pre-season training. Mata said: "The journey is indeed hard, but it allows me to integrate into the locker room faster. This short-term training can help all the players establish a tacit understanding faster."

Mata did not enjoy special treatment at Melbourne Victory. He shared a room with Australian international defender Jason Davison. When the two reunited, they couldn't help but recall the confrontation in the 2014 Brazil World Cup group stage. At that time, Davison started and Mata came on as a substitute, and Spain won 3-0. Davidson said: "We did relive that game and looked through the photos. It was very interesting. In the video, we were both younger when we were in the same frame. What's more, when I was playing for West Brom, I witnessed the team defeat his Manchester United at Old Trafford from the bench. This is something we laugh about to this day."

3 The 7-year-old Mata said that he had no plans to retire. He said: "I want to prove that I can still enjoy the game and maintain the level. I don't want to end up as a substitute and losing in the playoffs. The passion for football has never faded. As players, we should have understood that some decisions cannot be changed, and the only thing we can control is ourselves." Attitude and behavior. This is my advice to young players, don't let anyone taint your pure love for football."

"Australia's natural scenery and leisurely life are intoxicating. At this stage, I have no idea whether to consider other countries. When playing for the goalkeeper, the huge expectations and responsibilities sometimes take away from the initial joy, but I always remind myself that playing football comes from love and joy, just like the purity when I watched my father play as a child. This is why I am still running. I can still feel the thrill when I touch the ball in training or games.”