Football legend Juan Mata demotion to the bench has been called out by greats of the game

He has won a World Cup and is a football legend yet Juan Mata has been relegated to the bench in the A-League’s a move experts have labelled ‘disrespectful.’

He has won a World Cup, is a Manchester United and Chelsea legend, yet Juan Mata can’t seem to find a foothold in the A-League – a move football experts have labelled “disrespectful”.

The 36-year-old Spaniard was touted as a huge signing, not just for Western Sydney Wanderers, but the entire league.

But fans heading to watch next weekend’s Sydney derby, at Unite Round, face the possibility of only catching a glimpse of Mata.

He is rumoured to be on a contract worth $350,000 – yet he has played just 141 minutes across four games.

Juan Mata is playing lighter minutes than expected. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Western Sydney Wanderers and coach Alen Stajcic have refused to comment on the situation which exploded after Mata’s agent spoke out on a podcast this week.

Fahid Ben Khalfallah, a former A-League's player turned players’ agent, labelled the use of the star as “insane” and “disrespectful”.

He even went as far as to hint Mata could walk which he said would damage the League’s reputation.

Socceroos great Robbie Slater said the situation had all the ingredients needed for a standoff – which will come down to Stajcic’s willingness to alter his style of play to accommodate the legend.

Questions about Mata’s fitness were raised the moment he landed.

He made just 19 appearances across two different clubs since departing Manchester United.

And in 2021/22 he played in 12 games for Manchester United across all competitions – mostly off the bench.

He has played in each of the Wanderers’ matches this season – but his longest stint was 62 minutes in the second round.

This past weekend, when the Wanderers celebrated their first win of the season with a 4-1 victory over the Jets – Mata was left on the bench until the 84th minute.

Slater said the problem wasn’t Mata’s skills or fitness – rather he was just the wrong shaped piece for coach Stajcic’s puzzle.

“Stajcic (coach) only has two options with Mata – play with him or without him,” Slater said.

“If they play with him the team has to play around him, let him be the playmaker, but he can’t run like he used to so other players are going to have to do that.

“It means Stajcic can’t play the pressing game which is what he wants to do.”

It isn’t the first time a marquee signing has had trouble in the league.

“The same happened to Alessandro Del Piero, he played fantastic but Sydney FC won nothing,” Slater said.

“Teams pinpointed the space he was in was the space to attack Sydney because he didn’t defend much.”

Slater said John Aloisi had proved it was possible to build a team around a marquee signing - winning the championship with Alessandro Diamanti in his squad.

“Aloisi played Diamante deep and played a low block and it worked - they won the championship, and Diamante was 39 years old at the time.”

Slater said it wasn’t rocket science to work out that a player with Mata’s calibre wasn’t happy sitting on the bench.

It’s suggested that Juan Mata may need to alter his playing style. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

He warned it could lead to a stand off, especially if the Wanderers try to push him out. While fans are also unhappy they aren’t seeing Mata play.

With the Wanderers earning their first win of the season last weekend Slater said Stajcic was unlikely to make many changes to the match winning squad for the upcoming Unite Round derby with the Sky Blues.

Retired Socceroo and A-League legend Alex Brosque said he could understand both sides – with Stajcic’s job being to put a winning team on the park.

“But when you’ve got a World Cup winner and an incredible player and asset to the league you almost need to play him,” Brosque said.

The season is just four rounds in. Wanderers have had three close games that could have easily gone their way and one good win.

“It has been a poor start in terms of results but I don’t think the Wanderers were playing poorly,” Brosque said.

The Wanderers have been playing well across the first four rounds of the season. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

“If we are halfway through a season and the Wanderers are struggling then (Stajcic) needs to make a change, but I feel it is too early to have made that call.

“We can only speculate because coaches don’t like to give too much away.

“I feel like in the midfield (Mata) could certainly be playing and you’ve got players around him that could do the work.

“The guy is a magician on the ball, we don’t have enough of those quality players with the ball at their feet in the league.”

Brosque said leaving Mata on the bench was “disrespectful”.

“He’s come here to improve the league, to improve the crowd figures and him sitting on a bench is not going to help,” he said.

Khalfallah, talking on the A-League's Off Air podcast said it was“ insane” and “disrespectful” to leave the marquee warming the bench.

He was adamant fitness and skill were not a problem for Mata.

“When you bring someone like him, you have to play him in a system that suits him,” the former Victory player said.

“I couldn’t believe he only came on for eight minutes or whatever. I think it’s disrespectful. I hate it. I really, really hate it because it makes no sense to me.

“They have to find a way to make it work with him.”

A-League legend Alex Brosque has called not playing Juan Mata “disrespectful.” Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Mata isn’t the only star who might not make an appearance in the Unite Round derby. Sydney FC marquee signing Douglas Costa has played just one A-League’s fixture after injuring his hamstring in an AFC League 2 clash.

Costa was named in the squad for the club’s 1-2 loss to Macarthur last weekend but didn’t take the field.

The Brazilian and Mata were heralded as the biggest signings of the off-season yet both their teams are languishing in the middle of the table.

The Sky Blues have had two wins and two loses, while Wanderers have one win, a draw and two loses to their name.

They will face off on November 23 at 7.35pm at Allianz Stadium.

Originally published as Football legend Juan Mata demotion to the bench has been called out by greats of the game