Juan Mata,s Blog-Post:- Hi everyone! Today I’m not writing you from my house. Today I’m writing from a very special place, a place where I spent just a few nights and my dream came true, something that many people would dream of. I’m referring to Hotel Da Vinci, in the outskirts of Johannesburg, where we arrived a few hours ago from Malabo. It is the same place we stayed at before the World Cup final, those unforgettable days that ended up in an amazing party. When we landed in South Africa a lot of memories came to mind. When you think about it it’s already been more than three years! Time flies. Luckily, we’re still eager to play and to enjoy football. Hopefully next summer we’ll be able to experience the same in Brazil. Some of my teammates will be there as well. Obi Mikel or Samuel Eto’o, for instance, qualified this weekend, and we will have to wait and see if some others can make it after the play-off ties, which is quite interesting. One of them will be Didier Drogba, I’m very happy for him. It’s been a special and different week. I spent last Monday in Madrid visiting the Pauta Association with my friends from Laureus and IWC. This association helps autistic children through sports. Getting to know and talking with these children was a great experience that I recommend. I also had the opportunity to spend some time with Luis Figo during the event. When he was playing he was one of the best in the world and now, off the pitch, he works with projects like this that show his values. The next day we unveiled Spain’s new jersey, which I wore in the game last Saturday, in Equatorial Guinea. Playing with the national team is something I always enjoy. People in Malabo were very affectionate towards us, I’m sure they had a great time and they will always remember this day. In the end, football is a means to bring happiness to people, and I think that’s what we did. Back to South Africa, this Tuesday we will return to Soccer City, the stadium where Spain won the World Cup for the first time and I’m sure it will be very emotional. Winning the World Cup is something indescribable. I still remember Iniesta’s goal as if it was yesterday; 42 million people scored with his right foot. Now that we are in the same place three years later, when you look back at your achievements you can place more value on them. Of course you shouldn’t think that what you have achieved is enough because you should strive to improve. That’s how we became the first team to win three international tournaments in a row. The challenge now is to win two consecutive World Cups (it would be the first time in more than 50 years), so four tournaments in a row. It’s with this mentality we’ve become a great team. I hope we win this emotional match against South Africa and return to London in good spirits. West Ham awaits us in the Premiership and we must beat them in order to keep the same pace as our competitors. One thing is for sure: all these challenges will seem easier with your support. Thank you for being there and have a nice week! Hug, Juan. Source: blogs.grada360/juanmata/en/2013/11/18/vuelta-al-lugar-que-cambio-nuestra-historia/ #JuanMata #TheMagician #UpTheBlues #KTBFFH #CTID
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 18:30:59 +0000