MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Ex-Manchester United and Spain midfielder Juan Mata is on the move again in Australia, joining Melbourne Victory for his second stint in the A-League after leaving Western Sydney.
The 37-year-old Mata joined the Victory on a one-season deal, the club announced Tuesday. He had made seven starts in 23 appearances with Western Sydney Wanderers, scoring one goal.
“I am excited to be coming to Melbourne and to be part of one of the most respected clubs in the league and playing in front of the incredible members and fans,” Mata said in a statement.
Victory coach Arthur Diles is attempting to go one better after reaching the A-League grand final last year, losing to Melbourne City 1-0 in the championship match.
“We are incredibly fortunate to add someone of Juan’s experience and character to the squad,” Diles said in a statement.
Mata’s career before moving to Australia included winning the 2010 World Cup and 2012 Euros with Spain. He won the Copa del Rey at Valencia in 2008 before moving to Chelsea, where he won the Champions League, FA Cup, Europa League and FA Community Shield between 2011 and 2014.
Mata spent nine years at Man United, where he won the Europa League, FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield, scoring 51 goals in 285 appearances.
He then had short stints at Galatasaray and Vissel Kobe, winning the Super Lig in Turkey and J1 League respectively before joining the Wanderers last September.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
FILE - Manchester United's Juan Mata looks on during warm up before the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Leicester City, at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, Tuesday, May 11, 2021. (Peter Powell/Pool via AP, File)
WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Marco Odermatt already has no equals on the World Cup skiing circuit.
Now the Swiss star is unmatched in the biggest event on home snow, too.
Odermatt dominated a shortened race Saturday to set up his fourth career downhill victory in Wengen — breaking a tie for the most downhill victories on the famed Lauberhorn course with Franz Klammer and Beat Feuz.
Austrian standout Klammer claimed his three Wengen downhill wins in the 1970s while Feuz, another Swiss skier, claimed his third victory in 2020.
What’s more is that Odermatt’s four wins have come in succession.
Odermatt finished a massive 0.79 seconds ahead of Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr and 0.90 ahead of Italy's Giovanni Franzoni, who claimed his first career victory in Friday's super-G.
Strong winds prompted organizers to drastically shorten the course — making the narrow and tactical “Kernen S” section the key to the race. Odermatt mastered the section perfectly and carried away a faster speed on the exit than anyone else.
Franjo von Allmen and Alexis Money, two other Swiss skiers, finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Von Allmen, the world champion in downhill last season, took a riskier approach and skied into a television camera lining the course inside the “S” section. Then he crashed in the finish area — although appeared unhurt.
Dominik Paris of Italy was sixth after registering the top speed at 151.57 kph (94 kph).
It’s the first of the two weekends at the circuit’s classic venues, with Kitzbuehel, Austria, up next. Then the focus will switch to the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy — with the men to ski in Bormio.
Odermatt won gold in giant slalom at the 2022 Beijing Olympics and will be favored to win multiple medals at the upcoming Games.
Overall, it was Odermatt’s 52nd World Cup victory, moving him within two wins of matching Hermann Maier for third place on the all-time men’s list. He's also got a massive lead in the standings as he chases a fifth consecutive overall World Cup title.
Odermatt immediately knew he had done something special again, screaming with delight in the finish area and waving to the crowd, which was made up almost entirely of fans waving Swiss flags.
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Switzerland's Franjo von Allmen crashes at the finish area of an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Wengen, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)
Spectators gather to follow an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill race, in Wengen, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt reacts in the finish area during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill race, in Wengen, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Peter Schneider/Keystone via AP)
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill, in Wengen, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
Switzerland's Marco Odermatt reacts in the finish area during an alpine ski, men's World Cup downhill race, in Wengen, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Peter Schneider/Keystone via AP)
