Mata: Torres will be at the European Championships

20/03/2012 4:50:00 AM

The former Valencia star thinks that his compatriot will have a great end to the season and will be rewarded with a place in La Furia Roja's squad for Poland and Ukraine

Juan Mata is confident that Chelsea team-mate Fernando Torres will make Spain's squad for the European Championships.

Torres was not called up for February's friendly against Venezuela as a result of his poor run of form at Chelsea in what was the first time in five years that he had been left out of the national team for reasons other than injury.

The 28-year-old ended his scoring drought with a double in Sunday's 5-2 FA Cup victory against Leicester City, and Mata believes that his compatriot will be part of Vicente del Bosque's side in Poland and Ukraine.

"In the end, I think that Torres will be at the Euros," Mata told Cadena SER. "He has enough credit to play for Spain.

"He has given a lot to the national team and to the clubs where he has been. I am sure that he will do great things until the end of the season. Del Bosque will have a [selection] problem."

Mata then spoke of Torres' relief at scoring again after going over 26 games without finding the back of the net.

"He went through a tough period," Mata explained. "He was suffering because he was not scoring and because everyone wants to play all the time and that was not the case for him.

"He is playing more often now and he is regaining trust in himself, which is good for him."

The 23-year-old attacker also praised former Chelsea coach Andre Villas-Boas, and disputed the notion that the Portuguese failed to see eye-to-eye with the squad's veterans.

"I am very thankful to Villas-Boas," Mata said. "He was very important for me to sign for Chelsea.

"He did not have problems with the players. Those are things which people on the outside say but which are not true.

"Villas-Boas wanted to change the team's playing style and philosophy, but the results were not happening and everything got much more complicated."

Mata himself has made 16 appearances for Spain, scoring five goals in the process.

Inside Goal.Com

Bayern's jinx - CL final referee Nicola Rizzoli
Goal takes a look at the career of the Italian arbiter to date following Uefa's decision to appoint the 41-year-old for Saturday's showpiece at Wembley
Merrick's chance to prove his point at Phoenix
Bren O'Brien ponders Ernie Merrick's A-League return with the Wellington Phoenix and if we will see a change in the man to the one that led Melbourne Victory to two championships
Goal's Serie A awards for 2012-13
Goal crowns the best and worst from Italy over the course of the season
Now or never for Wenger to seal legacy
The Gunners sealed a place in next season's Champions League with victory at Newcastle on Sunday - and must now spend money to improve the squad over the summer
Who is the greatest Champions League striker ever?
Enter our competition now and you will be in with a chance of winning one of four replica football shirts. Simply pick your favourite and subscribe to our YouTube channel