Juan Mata joins Populous as Special Advisor

Spanish footballer Juan Mata has teamed up with Populous, a sports venue design and architecture practice, joining them as a Special Advisor.

Mata will be an advisor for the practice of football and training, helping Populous create the perfect football training environments for up-and-coming players.

The 38-year-old, a World Cup winner with Spain in 2010, will be working with Populous’ training facilities design team and give technical insights. He will be involved in design reviews, strategic discussions with project teams, and client workshops.

On joining Populous, Juan Mata commented:

“Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to experience some of the best training environments in football. What I’ve learned is that great facilities are about much more than buildings. The best environments help players perform, recover, learn, connect and grow. Every detail influences the daily experience of athletes and staff. Populous understands that. Their approach puts performance and people at the centre of design, and I’m excited to contribute my experiences to help shape the next generation of football training centres.”

Declan Sharkey, Global Director at Populous, added:

“Juan has experienced elite football at every level of the game. He understands first-hand what makes a training environment successful, from innovation across player performance and recovery to culture, wellbeing and development. His perspective will help our teams continue to challenge conventional thinking and ensure our projects reflect the realities of modern football and the needs of players and technical staff. We are delighted to welcome Juan as a Special Advisor and look forward to working together on projects around the world.”