“And I’m so sick, so sick of those coaches saying, ‘Oh yeah, but the intensity.’ OK, we will talk about someone who won the World Cup, won the Euro, Champions League, played in England for 10 years – he’s always been one of the most intelligent and most technical players of his generation. He wasn’t quick, he wasn’t the strongest. So despite that, he was one of the best players in the world.

“And we’re talking about A-League intensity. You must be kidding. Put horses on the pitch, they will be running – but they can’t kick a ball, and they can’t play. They can’t pass the ball. Seriously, I’m disgusted to hear that kind of stuff.”

Khalfallah said the A-League’s capacity to sign big-name players in future could be damaged if Mata was to leave Western Sydney after a negative experience, and that coaches and other players around the competition had expressed their bewilderment about the situation to him.

“Coaches, they do whatever they want. But I’m very disappointed,” he said. “Juan, we speak every day. Obviously, what we say, it stays between us. He’s the most professional player. He goes there, he works.

“When you see him on the bench, he’s celebrating with everyone. He’s happy. He would never say anything because that’s the way he is. It is insane, his kindness. He’s so humble. And when I see the way we do things toward him ... no, I don’t like it. But it’s me talking, not him.

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“They have to find a way to make it work with him. And then if it didn’t work, OK, we can say things.

“Maybe with him, you would have won six or 7-1 [against Newcastle]. If you’re telling me that wasn’t the kind of game where he could have been amazing with the space …

“If we brought Messi, maybe we can say, ‘Oh, Messi, there’s no intensity. He doesn’t run any more.’ So now maybe we’re not interested by Messi.”

Stajcic declined to respond to Khalfallah’s comments.

The Wanderers return to action next Saturday night at Allianz Stadium against Sydney FC, the centrepiece match of the Unite Round in Sydney.

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