Juan Mata admitted he joined Chelsea from Valencia to win trophies, bemoaning the fact that, apart from Barcelona and Real Madrid, other Spanish clubs were incapable of winning silverware.
Two of Spain's powerhouse clubs - Real and Barca -- have dominated the La Liga for quite some time now, with the likes of Valencia and Atletico Madrid having to play second fiddle and settle for a third-place finish at best. While Atletico have gone on to garner Europa League trophies, success in the Spanish league, in the current situation is beyond their means, despite them making a good start to the new season.
"I'm a little worried to see so many players leave the Spanish Liga, for the competitiveness of the league, we have two teams fighting for the title, and the third, for four years, ends 30 points (behind) the champion," Mata told France Foot.
"If you don't play for Real or Barca, you can't win a trophy. Today, it's impossible for my former club Valencia to win the championship. This cannot be good for Spanish football. Supporters of other clubs also suffer."
In the past few years, Spain's best players have either signed for Real or Barca, or moved onto another league, particularly the English Premier League. And Mata admitted he had left Spain in search of success, knowing it could not be achieved with Valencia.
"It was my first season in England and (success) arrived very quickly," he added. "I immediately found my marks with my team-mates.
"I had the chance to score a goal in my first game and after that I enjoyed myself.
"I came to Chelsea because I wanted to win trophies, and for my first year, I won two trophies, with the first Champions League of the club's history. I said: 'how can you be so lucky?'"
Spanish players like Mata, Santi Cazorla, David Silva and Fernando Torres have lit up the Premier League in recent seasons, and the Chelsea playmaker believes that can only bode well for the world game. "We offer something different than what people expect of English football, which is very physical," he said. "Spanish football has a great period with all these trophies, which we enjoy.
"We want Spanish players in other major championships, and suddenly we discover other (styles of) football -- that is a means to progress."
