One of the new transfers of Galatasaray, the world-famous Spanish football player Juan Mata Garcia made special statements to Galatasaray Television.
The statements made by Mata, who gave important clues about his career from his arrival at Galatasaray, are as follows:
FIRST MATCH WITH GALATASARAY KIT
I was very proud to wear the Galatasaray jersey for the first time. My friends and I started to get used to each other. It was a really great feeling to be playing together and to be on the field in a friendly match with thousands of fans.
THE PERFORMANCE OF JUAN MATA
After a long hiatus, being on the field was important to me as someone who hadn’t trained and played with the team. I felt the need to observe myself. I found that I could establish a good connection with my friends and perform well. So I was happy to play.
TRANSFER PROCESS
The process developed very quickly. We signed up very quickly. During this period of my career, I needed to play for a big club like Galatasaray. I came here to be a champion, to win titles and of course to really play. And I wanted that too. So it developed rapidly. The transfer window was coming to an end. My manager also had very quick conversations with our teacher. We were already very excited to come here. I jumped on a plane quickly and got here before the transfer window closed.
MATA’S FOOTBALL CAREER
Actually, my relationship with Turkey goes back a long time. If we remember my game with the Spanish national team, we first met the Turkish National Team at the Bernabeu. We played our second match here in Istanbul, in our old Ali Sami Yen Stadium. That’s why I have a connection from that time with Turkey….
After Valencia, I moved to Chelsea. Then I spent 8 years at Manchester United. There were great fans and great stadiums there. I enjoyed it very much. I think I’ve had a good career. Now I am trying to enjoy this beautiful city (Istanbul). I’m very excited here too. I came to a beautiful place.
DID YOU HAVE A DREAM OF PLAYING IN TURKEY?
We’ve played here (in Turkey) in the past but when you’re in one team, it’s hard to imagine going to another team. Because then you focus on your own team. We played with Bursaspor, Fenerbahçe and Başakşehir. There were great Turkish players. For example, like Arda Turan. When I saw them, I was excited, I was thinking how well they played.
GALATASARAY FROM MATA’S EYES
I didn’t spend a long time, but there is a great energy here. Everyone we work with really helps us. A wonderful atmosphere has been established. We were able to establish a really close relationship with foreign and Turkish friends. When you look at it as human values, not only on the field, but also outside the field, we feel that we are together with high quality people who fit in well with each other.
I didn’t have time to see much of Istanbul. But I think there is a great culture here. It is also part of a great history. I want to see him too. I need more time. I think we need more time to see and get to know this great city.
OKAN BURUK’S THOUGHTS
We have been working with Okan Hoca for about two weeks. We just met, but we played against them when he was Başakşehir’s teacher. And here we lost to them. I think you are a very big person. I think he is a person who establishes close relationships with his players. He even goes to training with us and shows his quality. Indeed, we would be very lucky if he could play with us.
NEW TRANSFERS OF GALATASARAY
The club has put a lot of effort into bringing in the really top players from the big teams. When we think of both Turkish players and foreign players, our staff is really high quality. All the players are very good. And my guess is that our coach is also satisfied with the quality of these players. For a team to be a champion, it has to be united. Championships are not won by individuals. So we continue to get to know each other. As a result of this recognition, we learn to play like a better team. Finally, we continue to fight to become the champion.
MATA’S TEAM MATCH
Whether it’s our captain Muslera, Icardi, Torreira or Sergio, I can communicate very comfortably with all of them because we speak the same language. We help each other. At the same time, you are very helpful from the club side.
THE ONLY MISSING IN A FOOTBALL CAREER; LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP…
It would be perfect to win the Super League together with our coach and our teammates. We are working to become the champion of the Super League. When we become champions, celebrating with our fans is what I want most right now.
GALATASARAY FANS
There’s a really different fan base here. I’ve seen very passionate fans in big clubs. But when I came here, especially watching the league game two weeks ago in the stands, the passionate support of the fans there was really a different level for me. We need their support to show ourselves in our matches at home, in our matches at the stadium. We need to be together to earn more points. And I think this passion of the fans is very important.
YOUNG PLAYERS
Speaking for Kerem and Yunus, they are very good one-on-one players who helped us a lot on the wing. Considering that they are young, we have really good quality players. Consistency is important to them. I think they need continuity in terms of playing both in our matches and in the national team. To always play at the highest level. I think the difference between the top level player and the other players is just the mentality difference. In order to be a player at the highest level, it is necessary to train every day and give yourself seriously to that training. After doing this, every player is already at the top level. As Mata, I would give them that kind of advice.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PROJECTS
I think as football players we need to realize this responsibility. As footballers, we are in a special place. Of course, there are some responsibilities that come with being in that special place. Sports, especially football, have an extraordinary approach to people. In Common Goal, which we established in 2017, we combine normal life with football and donate a certain percentage of our salary. We wanted to make a project that would keep the society more sustainable and closer. At first I started out as a single player. Currently, we have more than 300 players in this project. And I think it’s really helpful, in terms of helping and building society with football.
OSCAR FOUNDATION AND INDIA
It’s a beautiful feeling. A feeling that makes you feel complete. It is a really nice feeling to be able to visit the people you are trying to help, meet them and meet them face to face. It was a great feeling to go and see the Oscar Foundation (Organization for Social Change Awareness and Responsibility) and other foundations we have worked with around the world. We, as members, really like to see how these foundations work, what they do, how much effort they put into it. It also creates a chance to build the biggest club in the world that anyone can join. It’s also a really great feeling.
I NEVER THINK OF GIVING
I never really thought of quitting. Because my dream was to become a professional football player. And this has been my motivation to overcome all the obstacles that come my way in life. I have been successful every time. And I always continued this struggle.
THE HERO IN YOUR LIFE
I would say my father, my mother and of course my brother. My father was a football player. He’s been taking me to the field since I was very young. I was able to improve myself thanks to the support of my mother, father and brother. They are a huge part of my education and who I am. Thanks to them, I got to this place. I came with their support.
THE MEANING OF THE 64 NUMBER
Since it is an important number, I usually play with the number 10. I liked it. It was a trick worn by the offensive midfielder, which is important in football. I was playing with number 8 in Manchester United. 8 has been my favorite number since I was little, and I proudly carried the number 8 there. Number 10 was going to Rooney, it was very difficult to get it from him. (laughing) My mother passed away last year. He was born in 1964. So I always thought of it as a way to feel like you were with me and I wore the number 64. My father was also born in the same year. When I wear the number 64, I seem to feel them with me.
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
There was a sports marketing department that I started when I was playing at Real Madrid B when I was 18. I have been continuing my education ever since. After leaving Madrid, it was difficult to maintain this. I still have shortcomings, but I will complete it in the future. In recent years, I have also done masters on sports management and coaching, and attended courses. I continue there as well. But my focus right now is football. But that doesn’t mean I won’t do anything else besides that. I need to be able to improve myself in other things as well.