MELBOURNE, Australia -- Few outside of Australia have heard of Mandurah or Bunbury, and they're not exactly the most heralded of places among Australians. But it was here where the latest chapter of Juan Mata 's career began. A journey that had taken the 37-year-old to winning a World Cup with Spain , the Champions League with Chelsea , and an FA Cup with Manchester United had now arrived at a training camp with his new side, Melbourne Victory , in two small towns on the West Australian coast.

The veteran had only been back in Australia for a few days at that point, flying in to sign with Victory after his contract with the Western Sydney Wanderers concluded after the 2024-25 A-League Men season. And that process had been a marathon itself, too: the Spaniard jetting fr

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