Logic just doesn’t Mata when it comes to football

Betrayal. There’s a concept that we talk about probably more than we should in football. Figo going from all things Cule to the Santiago Bernabeu avec a beautiful leaving present of a pig’s head springs to mind to illustrate this point.

Liverpool fans attempting to burn Steven Gerrard shirts in a bin when they thought he was leaving for Chelsea is another (smart that, been as though he stayed and went on to become even more of a trophyless legend at the club).

Another concept that fails to grasp the majority of football fans at times – and I include myself in this – is logic. Passion and emotion, not to mention some pretty unfair or unwanted results at times see to it that it is thrown out of the window.

So imagine my discomfort when on Tuesday night I experienced not only a massive feeling of betrayal but also a total loss of logic though all in one fell swoop.

What am I talking about? Well the transfer of Juan Mata of course.

To best illustrate how I suffered a total loss of all things logic, it is probably best here to note that only a week ago, I would speak to anyone who would listen, claiming that I was fully behind the sale of Mata.

£37 million, the arrival of Matic and Salah, not to mention the fact that we all clearly understood the boy needed to play, and that would not be happening under Jose Mourinho were the main points I used to back this view point up.

I still stand by that, so why then did the sight of the little Spaniard in a red shirt on Tuesday night literally turn my stomach?

The feeling of a deep sense of betrayal – actually more than I have even felt in a personal or romantic sense (which is probably one of the main reasons I am still single and will most likely remain so) and only rivalled in a footballing capacity by seeing William Gallas in an Arsenal shirt – before the paddy on the field of course, or Gudjohnsen in the Barcelona colours – before the prolonged spell on the bench of course, shows that as a football fan, logic is totally out of the window.

Mata, who is Juan of the nicest footballers around, duly wrote a gushing letter to the world and its wife upon leaving Chelsea, and praised the fans for their support during his time there. Well, yes Juan, as I repeated on loop between tequilas on your Manchester United debut, you were our two time player of the year. We voted for you and look how you repay us. Crazy I know.

The letter was a nice parting of the ways between fans and player – well unless you were Jose Mourinho who was subject to a fair few digs throughout – but the sight of a smiling number ten – or eight as I suppose we will now have to get used to – did not sit well with someone who has blue blood running through their veins.  

Yes, logic tells me the move was right for Mata, and had he been given the chance at Chelsea, there would not have even been a question of him leaving, but for my own emotional sanity, I will be steering clear of watching United games for a little while now.

Actually, if we’re using the keeping my sanity card, I should probably sack off all Chelsea games from now until a forward arrives as well – but the chances of that? Less than finding Mata, Mourinho, Casillas and the Interim One having a cosy night in together I suspect.

Will Chelsea fans ever get over losing Mata? Let us know your thoughts below or tweet us @LaFootyettes.