Jose Mourinho takes veiled dig as he praises “proper professional” Juan Mata

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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has taken a thinly-veiled swipe at some of his players by praising Juan Mata as a ‘proper professional’.

Mourinho’s side faced Chelsea on Saturday at Stamford Bridge, with the Red Devils languishing in eighth place in the Premier League prior to kick-off. In an entertaining match, United conceded a late goal to draw the match 2-2 with Maurizio Sarri’s men.

The Portuguese tactician has cut a frustrated figure at times this season, with Mourinho publicly calling out the likes of Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial in recent months.

Speaking before their clash with Mourinho’s former club, the 55-year-old was full of praise for his Spanish schemer, calling Mata a ‘proper professional’.

He told Sky Sports: “Juan Mata is one of our team players. He is always available for the team, he thinks about the team.

“He is not selfish or an egocentric personality… Mata is what I like to call a proper professional.”

Mata has long been lauded as one of the best professionals in the Premier League, with an unwavering willingness to contribute and work for the team.

However, given Mourinho’s less-than-savoury nature in recent times, these comments could be construed as a dig at some of his other squad members in a bid to motivate them into better performances.

Mata played a big part in United’s draw, keeping a lid on the creative influence of Jorginho by successfully man-marking the Italian, also playing a part in both goals.

The Red Devils next face Juventus at Old Trafford in the Champions League on Tuesday, looking to turn Group H in their favour.

The post Jose Mourinho takes veiled dig as he praises “proper professional” Juan Mata appeared first on Squawka News.



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