Wily Mata evokes comparison with Chelsea legend Zola
At 23, the two-footed Spaniard already has a penchant for trickery
London: The story goes that shortly after buying Chelsea, so eager was Roman Abramovich to keep Gianfranco Zola that he offered to buy Cagliari to prevent the Italian from feeling bad for reneging on the contract he had agreed with the Sardinian club.
Ever since, Abramovich, with his love of football's high style, has felt the absence of what the Italians call the fantasista. Zola's impish genius will take some replacing but at Stamford Bridge this season there finally appears to be a player capable of generating similar excitement: Juan Mata. At 5ft 7ins, two-footed and with a penchant for trickery, the Spain international certainly bears a family resemblance.
Humility
He even responds with Zolaesque humility to the comparison itself. "Zola is a legend and a historic player here," he said. "It's an honour to be compared to him but I've got lots to do before I can get close to him."
A lot of Premier League defenders seem to have a lot to do before they can get close to Mata. Small, clever foreign players are supposed to take a season of being kicked round the provinces in their snoods before becoming any good but Mata has skipped the foundation year and got on with reshaping the way Chelsea play.
"I'm big and strong!" he said, puffing out his chest for emphasis. "It's different football, much more physical, with different rhythm to it, a different pace. In Spain there's much more possession but playing a different kind of football helps me improve."
Rivalry
What about the inevitable roughing up reserved for players of his calibre [and size]? "It's something I've got to get used to. Referees are different in Spain, here you play more often without fouls being given. But you have to just take it."
He has done his homework on the rivalry with QPR ahead of this afternoon's visit — "I'm aware that the stadium is very tight, with the fans right on top of you" — and should get another chance to showcase his skills. Mata is only 23 and has been brought up in the grain of the Spanish style, the dominant method in world football.
— The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2011
