Ex-Man Utd and Chelsea hero joins in league title celebrations at new side despite playing just TEN MINUTES for them
FORMER Chelsea and Manchester United star Juan Mata has celebrated a SECOND league title in six months despite playing just 10 MINUTES for his new club.
The Spaniard, 35, left Old Trafford to join Galatasaray at the end of the 2021/22 season and lifted the Turkish Super Lig title back in May in his only campaign with the club.
That came despite him starting just three league matches as he made 13 appearances off the bench.
But his latest title triumph saw him feature for just 10 MINUTES.
Mata signed for Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe in September.
And on Saturday they lifted their first ever J1 League title with one game to spare after a 2-1 victory over Nagoya.
Mata, who was handed the No64 shirt when he arrived in Japan, was an unused substitute for the match.
His only game time for the club came in a 2-0 defeat to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in September.
But that did not stop him getting involved in the jubilant post-match celebrations following their historic title triumph.
Mata could be seen on the pitch revelling in the victory immediately after the referee blew the final whistle.
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Then, when they lifted the trophy, he jumped up and down with the rest of his team-mates, before theatrically jumping off the stage and out of shot.
Mata’s second league title win comes in the same space of time that his former side, Man Utd, have claimed just seven Premier League wins.
The midfielder won the Turkish Super Lig with Galatasaray after the conclusion of England’s domestic season back in May.
And in the 2023/24 campaign, Erik ten Hag‘s men have already lost five of their 12 matches.
Mata won the Champions League, FA Cup and Europa League during his two-and-a-half seasons with Chelsea.
He then moved to Man Utd were he spent eight years – winning the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League.
At international level, he scored ten goals in 41 caps for Spain, winning the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.
After departing Old Trafford in 2022, he signed a one-year contract with Galatasaray.
He contributed three goals and two assists in 18 games as they lifted the league title, before he was released in the summer.
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