Juan Mata reflects on ‘fantastic week’ for Chelsea

Juan Mata has revealed his delight at Chelsea’s positive end to the season after a turbulent campaign.

The Blues lifted their first Europa League title in midweek and cemented third place in the Premier League with a 2-1 win over Everton on Sunday to secure a direct route into next season’s Champions League.

And playmaker Mata, who was named as the club’s player of the season for the second year running last week, was thrilled with the climax to the campaign.

“A very long season has come to an end, but in the best possible way,” Mata, 25, wrote on his blog on www.grada360.com.

“It has been a fantastic week; so great that I’ll never forget it. So many emotions in a few days, and luckily, all of them very good.

“Looking back to this last year, I feel proud of the team and the way we got another European title, direct qualification for the Champions League and how we overcame the tough moments.

“We close a very very long season, in my case with around 68 games and more than 5,000 minutes played, but with a very good taste.”

Mata scored 20 goals and made 35 assists for the Blues in all competitions in his second season at Chelsea since joining from Valencia back in August 2011.