The Juan who got away..

A loud cheer went up in the away fans' section as he got up off the bench to warm-up. The game was deadlocked at 0-0 in Hull City, with few chances for either team. This type of challenge was what Juan Mata had always excelled at, unlocking the most stubborn of defenses with slide-rule passes. His stature had been diminished significantly since the arrival of Mourinho. Chelsea fans were just about to stat praying for this chance to be the start of a revival. It was just then, when Eden Hazard, Chelsea's new MVP since Jose's return, received the ball wide out on left. He cut inside, past two defenders in a flash, and unleashed a low drive that would have far more serious repercussions on English football than one could have imagined.  Mourinho had the goal he wanted, and the diminutive Number 10 was sent back trudging to the bench. Juan Mata would not play for Chelsea again.

The news of Mata's sale to Manchester United has been met with incredulity from the footballing world (and unbounded delight from United fans, of course). Yet in strictly business terms, this seems to be a win-win situation for all parties involved. For Mata himself, this is a great opportunity to re-establish himself into Spain's plans for the World Cup this summer. He knows he will be the main guy at his new club, as opposed to a bit-part player in Mourinho's plans.

For Manchester United, there are already talks about whether he can fit in their system. But for them, Mata is more than just a player-upgrade. He is the big-name signing, which can lift the gloom around Old Trafford, the one which can kickstart their faltering campaign. Until last week, Moyes was a manager who couldn't convince Leighton Baines to leave Everton. Now he's the man  who has signed Juan Mata. As for Chelsea, a fee of 37 million Pounds for a player who doesn't seem to fit in the manager's plan is indeed a tempting offer, especially in the days of FFP.

So why so much anguish over his departure from Chelsea? To understand that, you must realize that football is far more about emotions than it is about tactics. Mata wasn't just a skilled footballer for Chelsea, he was adored like nothing else by the fans. Even in a team of Hazard, Oscar, Torres and Terry, Juan Mata was their crown jewel. He could do beautiful things with the ball, he loved the club from his heart, and we loved him back like our prince. Mata was closest to a magician Chelsea have had ever since Gianfranco Zola took his last bow at Stamford Bridge. And then it all started to go wrong.

Even though Chelsea won back to back titles in Europe, their domestic performances weren't good enough by the standards set in the Abramovich era. Jose Mourinho returned to plot a revival, and casualties were inevitable in a shake-up. Chelsea fans hoped against hope, but the harsh reality had started to sink in. The disappointed shouts every-time Mata was left out of a big game had dwindled down to mere whispers, as Mourinho's highly-functional Chelsea unit churned out wins. Mata was now a fantasy player, in a team which demanded as much industry as the finesse. Pleasing to the eye, but no more an untouchable. He carried himself with utmost professionalism in these testing times, but a departure had become unpreventable.

Let me make a confession. I have always vehemently defended the way Chelsea play against the so-called purists of the game. I have relished watching us bullishly destroy teams with Drogba and Lampard and Ballack, and enjoyed just as much when we mounted heroic defenses in times of crisis. But today I feel a tinge of regret, even if only for the sake of emotions. If only for a second, I feel wistful that my team plays a system that cannot accommodate a player like Juan Mata. My brain understands that tough decisions must be taken in search of greatness. But then, the heart wants what the heart wants, doesn't it?

On a farewell note, we enjoyed every bit of what you gave to this club, Juan. But perhaps, we did not deserve to keep having you. But that will not stop us from cheering every goal you score, going gaga when you produce those sublime pieces of skills and grinning madly watching you celebrate, even if it's for our oppositions. We do not know what the future holds, but what we do know is that the Blue hearts will continue to beat for Juan Mata, irrespective of the color he wears.

Adios.

The Tenacious Triumph

In the end, the tears told the story. Often hidden behind the facade of a flashy superstar, described unwittingly as "a commander on the field" by the FIFA president, Cristiano Ronaldo showed us his human side. He's already won everything on offer, yet he craves this so much. Declared the Best player on the planet this year, now officially.

Many find him difficult to like, even though he can routinely leave you spellbound. Ronaldo is never shy of creating a show, and he's never hid his ambitions of turning into the greatest to have graced the game. And then there's the small factor of having to compete against Lionel Messi, not just supremely talented but a lot more likable to the neutrals.

That's the funny thing with public opinions. Of course, it's a mark of greatness to be humble when you're successful. Very few can actually manage that. But it does not mean you look down on a guy who dares to display his desire for success, for greatness. In a world seduced by the easy, we scoff at a person who doesn't stop with dreaming big, but mono-maniacally devotes himself to achieving that goal. Ronaldo's latest triumph was not just of talent, but one of sheer willpower, a burning desire to prove himself to the whole world.

It may sound incredible, and even idiotic; but it is not easy being Cristiano Ronaldo. He doesn't just have to compete with one of the greatest footballers of all time for supremacy, but he has to do it while taking constant criticism, being seen in disdain by the so-called "purists" of the game. I came across a superb line by Rob Smyth in the aftermath of yesterday's ceremony, "Ronaldo's most impressive feat is not to usurp Messi; it is to believe he could do so in first place." How many others have been able to take that challenge? Sneijder faded away after one great season. The likes of Ibrahimovic and Suarez glitter, but not as consistently. And Bayern would make a case for Franck Ribery, but the fact is, he's just one component of a well-oiled machine. Take him out, and Munich still have a plethora of options in Kroos, Robben, Schweinsteiger and Muller, not to mention the newly-acquired Goetze and Thiago.

It is finally time we learn to admire Ronaldo for what he is. It's his insatiable hunger for more success that makes him so brilliant. He pushes the physical limits further and further every passing day in his quest. Look at his sculpted physique, see the power he generates with his kicks, watch his outrageous leaps in the air. They aren't god-given gifts, it's practice, it's literally blood and sweats, to go beyond what the world thinks possible, Even as an upcoming star at Manchester United, he would be last to come off the training ground. And it hasn't changed even today at Real Madrid, at the pinnacle of his career.

The comparisons with Messi are inevitable, especially when Ronaldo so openly declares his ambitions of being better than anyone else. But that should not belittle his extraordinary achievements. Because while Messi at his best seems almost divine, but Ronaldo's success is a triumph of human will. And for that alone, no one can deny him his place in the pantheon of all-time greats.