Alen Stajcic deserves plaudits after being proven right in ugly ‘disrespect’ clash with Juan Mata’s man
Late in 2024, Fahid Ben Khalfallah threw his toys from the cot, insulted Wanderers coach Alen Stajcic and demanded that Juan Mata start matches for Western Sydney.
The Spaniard is in the agent’s stable of players and after bringing Mata to Australia off the back of nearly two seasons of limited play, he expected him to make a significant impact on the league right from the start. Sadly, Mata’s conditioning was poor, naturally, and Stajcic has far too much honesty and integrity to play a player in a starting position if they were undeserving and unprepared.
Thus, Mata sat on the bench, even being removed from the entire squad on one occasion, before slowly working his way to better from under the manager’s terms and not due to past achievements, that frankly, have and should count for nothing.
Mata turned 37 on Monday and is far from the player who starred in the English Premier League or on the international stage for Spain. Yet skilful and polished he remains when in form and fitness.
The word on the street is that after what was a rocky start in Western Sydney, thanks to the embarrassing language and accusatory approach taken by Khalfallah back in December, the club are keen to see Mata return for a second season, on a one year-deal that might well be the player’s final one in the professional game.
It is a far cry from Khalfallah’s comments when he referred to Stajcic’s decision to play Mata from the bench as ‘insane’ and ‘disrespectful’; insisting that his player should be the focal point of the system being employed.
When he doubled down and said that he ‘did not understand’, the player agent potentially made a rod for his own back via his mediocrity as a player and his pig-headedness as a representative of others.
Stajcic saw the comments as ‘disrespectful’, as they were, especially for a man that has achieved in just about every coaching role he has accepted. The foundations of the Mariners’ recent success had more than a little to do with Stajcic, and the Matildas have been a lesser team ever since he was removed from the helm of the national squad in the most dubious of circumstances prior to the World Cup in France in 2019.
Alen Stajcic wins pretty much everywhere he goes. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
As coach of the Wanderers and in desperate need of re-establishing a culture and professionalism that had been missing since Tony Popovic resigned and headed to Turkey in 2017, Stajcic has turned the club around emphatically.
Khalfallah has most likely been infuriated watching his player continue to come from the bench in the second halves of matches in the 2024/25 season, whilst at the same time, watching the team improve and become one of the serious contenders for the A-League Championship.
There is a real chance that Western Sydney could nab second spot on the ladder at the completion of the Round 29 games that play out this weekend. If Sydney beat Melbourne City and Western United cannot beat the premiers Auckland, the Wanderers would earn the week off with a victory over Macarthur on Saturday night.
There are a few ifs in there, yet form suggests a win for Western Sydney might be enough to secure a cosy spot heading into the finals.
Now, unbeaten in 11 matches and with Mata not even always used off the bench, Stajcic has established three things. Firstly, he is the boss and not a player agent whose agenda clearly blinkered the truth that was right before his unbelieving eyes.
Juan Mata has contributed for the Wanderers, but not in the way his agent expected. (Image credit: Texi Smith)
Secondly, Stajcic has confirmed what most already knew about his coaching credentials and the class, grace and effectiveness he brings to his duties as a top flight manager and thirdly, the 51-year-old over the last two months of football, has enunciated the fact that his team is capable of winning the title.
It will seem almost like a slap in the face to Khalfallah should Mata accept a new deal in Western Sydney, considering that he remains a role player and not the fulcrum of the team that his agent clearly felt he would be.
Yet, most involved have smiles on their faces. Mata looks to have settled well into his role, the fans are happy, the manager pleased with what he has built and the Wanderers’ board delighted with the success returning to the club.
Khalfallah is not smiling and may well encourage his player to move to another A-League club should he decide to engage with interest and extend his career. However, a Wanderer Championship might further complicate that decision.