Manchester United star Juan Mata has shown compassion for his friends and former colleagues at Chelsea, according to Metro, after the Blues endured a difficult week that saw an end to their Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League hopes.

Chelsea began last week with a home defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid, but it got worse when Norwich City traveled to London. The Canaries snatched a point in Chelsea’s last home game of the season, effectively ruling them out of the title challenge.

Spaniard, Mata began his career at Madrid, where he was part of their youth academy from 2003 to 2006. The left-footer was recognized as a top talent, but due to the senior side being full of stars who could not be replaced at the time, Mata was given a place in the Real Madrid B side, where he was given his first professional contract. The player’s golden period came at Valencia, where he played 129 games, scoring 33 goals, before making the move to Stamford Bridge. Mata played a total of 82 league matches for Chelsea, and scored 18 goals mostly under the stewardship of Rafa Benitez who clearly had a strong connection with the playmaker.