The island of Mallorca, located in the heart of the Balearic Islands, is the central and largest of the three main islands, with an area of 3,640 square kilometers and a population of nearly one million. Nearly half of the population lives in the largest port and capital of the Balearic Islands Autonomous Region, Palma de Mallorca - commonly referred to as Mallorca - which is also the home and headquarters of the Mallorca Football Club.
The island boasts an abundance of sunshine, with 300 days of good weather annually. Its diverse landscapes include sandy beaches, steep cliffs, and fields of olive and almond trees. Because of this beautiful weather and scenery, Mallorca is often called the "Paradise of the Mediterranean". Tourists from all over Europe flock to the island to enjoy its sun and sea, bringing life to Mallorca's largest port, Palma.
Tourism is the mainstay of the island's economy. Many of the historic buildings here are in the Gothic style. Along Palma's seafront boulevard there are numerous hotels, bars, restaurants and discos. Climbing to the top of Bellver Castle, a circular Gothic structure, offers a panoramic view of the city, including the Gothic Cathedral, the Almudaina Palace - once a Moorish fortress - the Gothic Quarter, Plaza Cort, City Hall, Jaime III Avenue, Passeig des Born Boulevard, Plaza Mayor and Las Ramblas. The composer Chopin even lived here for a while.
These features, combined with the excellent weather, have led to the development of numerous hotels throughout the island. As for Palma, the capital, its growth speaks for itself. Coastal towns such as Andratx, Sóller, Alcúdia, Santa Margalida, Artà, Manacor and Campos have also prospered. José's father, Alemany, is a hotel chain businessman who earns millions annually. His appointment as president of the Mallorca Football Club was largely due to his being a local, although he did not own any shares. The Asensio family, which controls 60% of the club's shares, is mainly based in the Malaga region and is considered an outsider in Mallorca. The 30% of shares held by Vicente Grande's company are also managed from outside the island, which is why Alemany's appointment was uncontested.
Mallorca's home stadium, Son Moix, was inaugurated last year and is located just east of the city, with excellent transport links. The training base, Dolar, is further east but only a 10-minute drive from the stadium.
When José was appointed to coach the reserve team, there was little resistance. José himself had risen through the ranks of the reserve team and had a good relationship with the coaches. The outgoing coach, Francisco, was retiring, so José's return to lead the reserves was a natural choice.
After meeting with some of the coaches, José went to the practice field. Even though it was the middle of the season, the reserve team was still in full training; they had a long way to go before they could break into the first team.
"Joan, how have things been going with the reserves these past few months?" José asked the team's senior assistant coach, Joan Mesquida, with a smile.
"Pretty good. We managed to avoid relegation from the Segunda Division last season. That Diego Tristan you like was exceptional - 19 goals in 34 games. No wonder the first team is so interested in him," Mesquida replied.
"At 23, it's time for him to step up," José remarked with a slight smile. "And what about the guy I brought from Brazil?"
"The big one? He's been outstanding. Even though he's only been here six months, he's already the heart of our attack. Great technical skills, strong playmaking ability - if it weren't for him, we might not have stayed up last season," Mesquida said, nodding. Then he pointed to the training pitch. "He's Brazilian, but he's very hardworking."
At Mesquida's gesture, José looked over and smiled. A tall, young player with sharp features was on the field, practicing short passes with another player, deeply focused on the drill.
José's smile reflected his satisfaction. This wasn't a superstar, but a solid player. This young man was Thiago Motta, a midfielder José had recruited from Brazilian club Juventude on a trip to Brazil six months earlier. The move was a stroke of luck-Motta had suffered a serious injury a year earlier and had been released by Juventude. José was able to use his limited authority to bring the player to the youth team on a free transfer.
For Motta, this was a second chance, and he was determined not to waste it. Following a personalized training regimen provided by José, he focused on building his physical strength and protecting his knees.
"Thiago, Alberto, you've both been working hard," José shouted after chatting with Mesquida.
Motta's eyes flashed with gratitude when he saw José, while the other young player, Alberto, responded more naturally: "Hello, Mr. José."
José nodded slightly at Alberto. "Alberto, with Diego moving up to the first team this season, it's up to you to score goals for the reserves. Do well and your promotion won't be far away."
Alberto nodded enthusiastically. With Diego Tristan's example in front of him, he felt more confident about his own future.
"I'm going to coach the reserves now. This season, I hope we can do better than last year. And I'm going to introduce new training methods. Do you understand?" José said with a smile.
Motta and Luque exchanged glances, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
While Mallorca's fans eagerly awaited the team's performance in the Champions League, José began his journey as coach of the reserve team.
The move didn't attract much attention. As Alemany said, it was a routine adjustment for a coach to return to the youth system. For José, however, it was an important step. By implementing his tactical philosophy in the youth teams, he hoped to influence the first team's system in the future. For a club, this is the way to build a lasting legacy.
José was well aware of the story of Johan Cruyff, who laid the foundation for La Masia, Barcelona's famed soccer academy, even though its reputation wasn't widely known at the time. José knew that simply buying star players every year, as Real Madrid did, wasn't the answer. Even under the leadership of one of the best coaches in the world, José Mourinho, Real Madrid's star-studded squad struggled against Barcelona. Mallorca, without the resources of Real Madrid, would have to take a different path - one more like Barcelona's.
That is why José wanted to coach the youth team: to instill his tactical philosophy. As an assistant coach, he wouldn't have had that authority.
While José was busy shaping the youth team, Mallorca began their season.
However, no one expected how difficult this season would be for the club.
Having finished fourth in La Liga the previous season, Mallorca first faced the third qualifying round of the Champions League, needing to beat Norwegian club Molde to reach the group stage and secure a financial windfall.
After a 0-0 draw away from home and a 1-1 draw at home, Mallorca's first Champions League campaign ended in heartbreak as they were knocked out despite not losing a game. But bigger challenges were yet to come.
In La Liga, they lost 2-1 at home to Real Madrid in the first round, then lost 2-1 away to Rayo Vallecano, 2-1 away to Real Sociedad in the fourth round, 1-0 away to Celta Vigo in the sixth round, 2-2 at home to Deportivo La Coruña in the seventh round, and 3-0 away to Real Zaragoza in the eighth round.
After 19 rounds, Mallorca had won just three, drawn three and lost 13, with 12 points, and were bottom of the standings and in the relegation zone.
The fans were furious. They didn't want to see a seventh relegation. Two years ago, they had returned to La Liga for the seventh time, and they didn't want to wait for an eighth.
"If we don't win the next game, Gomez will be fired!"
Alemany made the decision during a club meeting, effectively sealing Gómez's fate - because the next game was against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.
No one appealed the decision. Gomez's poor performances had convinced everyone that the former assistant to Héctor Cúper was not up to the task. With a squad largely unchanged from the previous season, how could things have gone so wrong? It was clear that he wasn't as capable as Cúper.
Alemany looked around at the shareholders, knowing that many of them were probably waiting for him to fail. Finding the right person to take over mid-season would not be easy.