Juan Mata: Manchester United star admits he earns an 'obscene amount' of money and 'lives in a bubble'

Mata admitted he earns an "obscene" amount of money and "lives in a bubble".

Manchester United's Juan Mata (Getty)

Juan Mata has been a fans' favourite at all of his clubs.

He was a cult hero at Valencia, was voted Chelsea Player of the Year twice in a row by the club's fans and has become one of the most likeable faces at Manchester United.

It's easy to see why, with Mata blending his supreme talent and vision with an obvious love of the game - unlike some players, the Spanish international is clearly not driven solely by a desire to make huge amounts of money.

In fact the 27-year-old has now spoken out against modern football and how money and the commercial aspect of the game has tarnished the sport.

Mata, who has nine goals and eight assists for Louis van Gaal's team this season, has even admitted that he earns an "obscene" amount of money and "lives in a bubble", sounding off about a number of issues to do with the commercial side of the game.

"It costs £40 to watch United play. It’s not cheap," Mata told Spanish television show Salvados on Sunday night when asked about the cost of tickets.

"I can understand what they’re talking about [when people say they hate the modern game]. The business side of football makes it seem as though the owners are now more important than the fans.

"It’s not like the football of old; there wasn’t as much press coverage before or as many interested parties looking for their cut."

He added: "Football is very well remunerated at this level. It’s like we live in a bubble. With respect to the rest of society, we earn a ridiculous amount. It’s unfathomable. With respect to the world of football, I earn a normal wage. But compared to 99.9% of Spain and the rest of the world, I earn an obscene amount. The barometer we use for measuring our salaries is comparing them to those of our team-mates and what other players are earning elsewhere.

"I live in [a bubble]. Real life is the one my friends live. They’ve had to look for work, sign on to the dole and emigrate. That’s normal life now. My life as a footballer is not normal.

"I don’t enjoy the business side of football. I love the game. I love training and competing. I’d happily take a pay cut if there was less business involvement in the sport.

"At this level we’re very well paid and sometimes you get to thinking that there really isn’t much of a difference between x and x plus three."