Juan Mata apologises to Man Utd fans for disappointing season
The Spanish midfielder, as well as his Chilean teammate Alexis Sánchez, were keen to send a message to their club's supporters after their final game.
Manchester United ended their 2018/19 Premier League campaign with another loss - their tenth of the season - and this time it was at home to already-relegated Cardiff City (0-2). With 66 points, the Red Devils finished sixth in the table, 32 points from their title-winning neighbours, and players have been quick to accept that this is far from the standard expected of the club.
Mata and Sánchez apologise
The season started with José Mourinho at the helm, but for every optimistic fan, there were several doubters. In the end, the unrest that occurred resulted in the Portuguese manager being released. Club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer grabbed the wheel but, just as things looked to have miraculously fixed themselves, the points accumulation soon dried up.
A number of players have taken stock of their, and their fans' disappointment, and have felt the need to directly apologise, with both Chilean international Alexis Sánchez and Spain's Juan Mata making their feelings known. Sánchez has really struggled since making his headline-grabbing move from Arsenal, and becoming the highest paid member of staff at the club. On Instagram, he wrote:
'It was a very tough season...the fan are the ones who deserve an apology as they always support you no matter what happens. Personally, I didn’t perform as much as I was expecting because of unpredictable injuries. Press and people were speculating of things that were not even true. I was always a professional in all aspects. I apologise to the fans 🙏 for not be able to achieve our goals, Nevertheless we are Manchester United! Players and Staff are questioning if we were doing the right thing and if we were giving our best for this football shirt ... I'm certain that Manchester United one day will return to be the club, as it was in the old days with Mr. Alex Ferguson.'
Knowing what the Mata is
As for Juan Mata, used his blog as he has often done, in a piece entitled 'A painful end to a disappointing season' in which one segment read:
'It’s very painful and that feeling will last through the whole summer. All of you, however, have been way better than the team. When I see your faces at Old Trafford, applauding, supporting and cheering us on after waiting for ages to say goodbye to us, I understand how big this sport is… and how big this club is. Your support has been admirable, especially in those moments. You all deserve a lot more than what you’re getting. That is the reality.'