"Thiago motta, you have to learn to read the game... When you're on the field, always pay attention to your teammates' movements. When you get the ball, pass it quickly to the right person at the right time. Remember, you're a midfielder. I know you used to play on the left side, but now I want you to play in the middle. You have to focus on more than just one side of the field - pay attention to everything that's going on. Use your brain, all right? Playing smart will bring you a lot of joy!"
Motta nodded. In Brazil, he had played as a left midfielder, but after coming to Mallorca, José had insisted that he play in the middle. Motta didn't understand why at first, but after six months he began to adapt to the new role.
"You're not that fast, so you can't be a pure winger. A hybrid of wing and center is your best path. Your physicality is excellent and it would be a waste not to play as a balanced midfielder.
"From midfield, you can sometimes make runs forward. Those runs will always be a threat. You'll be more valuable than just staying up front."
"Being the brain of the midfield may not be glamorous, but it's crucial."
José would say things like this to Motta over and over again, leaving a deep impression on him.
José also had some advice for Luke.
"You're a striker, but you're different from Diego. He's physically stronger and a typical goal-scoring machine. But don't get discouraged. You have your own strengths. Your technique and agility surpass his, and you're more versatile. You can even make an impact on the wing."
"Become a versatile forward. It'll benefit you and the team."
"Not every forward needs to focus solely on shooting. Work on your passing and playmaking skills-you'll find it incredibly rewarding."
These words not only shaped Motta and Luke's training, but also improved their performance for Mallorca's second team. The second team played in the Segunda División, but no matter how well they performed, they couldn't be promoted because they were the reserve team. If the first team was relegated from La Liga, the second team would automatically drop down a division. However, under José's leadership, the second team performed much better than the previous season, finishing in mid-table rather than in the relegation zone.
This contrast with the first team's poor form made Alemany feel it was time to hand over the reins to his son. Mid-season is never an easy time to find a new coach, and Mallorca wasn't exactly attracting top-class managers. Promoting the second team coach seemed like the best option, especially as José's success with the reserves contrasted sharply with the first team's struggles in La Liga.
"What? You only want to be a temporary coach for half a season?" José's father was astonished.
"Yes, dad, just half a season. My job is to keep the team from being relegated. After that, I'll return to the youth team and continue coaching." José smiled as he spoke.
"But why?" Alemany was confused. Going from youth coach to first team coach was the dream of most coaches. The fame and the increase in salary alone were huge. José, for example, made about $100,000 a year as a youth coach, but a first-team coach would make at least $500,000 a year. Alemany knew his son didn't need the money, but still...
"Dad, can we talk privately? Not as club owner and youth coach, but as father and son?" José asked suddenly.
Alemany paused, then nodded. "Of course."
A private conversation, free from the constraints of their professional roles, was an odd request, but it could save a lot of complications.
"Father, what do you think of Mallorca as a club?" José asked once they were seated.
"The only professional club on the island of Mallorca and the pride of this small island," Alemany replied without hesitation.
José chuckled. "From a fan's point of view, that's true. But I'd like to analyze it from another angle."
"Go on."
"This is a club with no real potential for growth," José said plainly. "Let's start with the ownership. The Asensio family owns 60% of the shares, Vicente Grande owns 30%, and there are over ten small shareholders with about 1% each. Apart from the small shareholders, none of them are from Mallorca. For the major shareholders, the club is just an instrument to collect annual dividends. As long as Mallorca remains profitable, they don't care about anything else".
Alemany opened his mouth to reply, but found nothing to refute. Mallorca's management was indeed like that. Even in recent years, they had always made a profit on the transfer market, with the profits going straight into the pockets of the shareholders. The club hadn't developed at all.
"Let's not forget that we all work for this management team," Alemany sighed.
"That's why I only want to be a temporary coach," José shook his head. "There is no future as a head coach in a club like this. At least not in Mallorca. Maybe I could show my talent here for a few years, like coach Cúper did, before moving on to a bigger club, but that's not what I want."
"Son, I'm touched by your loyalty to Mallorca," Alemany said, shaking his head. "But as a coach you have to consider your career prospects."
"I don't want to be a journeyman coach, jumping from club to club in search of trophies. That's fine for some, but it's not my style," José smiled. "If I'm going to coach, I'd rather be like Guy Roux, a coach who becomes the face of a club. I'm very vain, you know."
"But Mallorca is not Auxerre. You won't have that kind of power here," said Alemany. "Roux was both the head coach and the de facto owner of Auxerre. Even if he didn't officially own the club, the board never dared to question his decisions. But you're right: Roux took over when Auxerre was an amateur club and spent decades building it into a top-flight side. You don't have those conditions here".
"I understand that, Father," José nodded. "Which is why, if the conditions don't exist, I'm going to create them."
"Create them? How are you going to do that?" Alemany was confused.
"If I own the majority of the shares in Mallorca and you are the president of the club, wouldn't that create the right conditions?" José smiled.
Alemany's eyes widened. "Owning the majority of Mallorca's shares? Son, you're not kidding, are you? Do you know how much those shares are worth?"
"I have money," José said calmly, watching his father's surprise.
"Oh, I forgot-you're a billionaire now," Alemany finally remembered his son's considerable wealth. He sat down and began to think.
"Mallorca isn't worth two hundred million. It's not even worth a hundred million. Apart from the players, the real asset is this training ground. The stadium itself belongs to the municipality. If we had to play somewhere else, it would be a different story. If I had to guess, the club is worth about fifty million dollars. Alemany began to calculate. "But even if the club is only worth that much, I doubt the shareholders will sell for that price."
"It's not impossible," José shook his head. "Take the Asensio family, for instance. The club doesn't bring them much income-maybe a couple million dollars a year at most. And I know that Juan doesn't care much about Mallorca. He's more interested in Málaga. It wouldn't be too hard to buy their shares."
Alemany began to understand. Juan Asensio, the son of the current owner, had grown up with José. José knew that Juan wasn't a Majorca fan. In fact, he was a Malaga supporter, probably because the Asensio family was based in Malaga.
"That would still only give you 60%," Alemany frowned.
"60% would give us decision-making power," José smiled. "Father, for Grande and the other shareholders, what do the shares mean to them?"
"Dividends," Alemany said without hesitation.
"Exactly. And what if there were no dividends? Then I could offer to buy their shares at a slightly higher price. Wouldn't they agree? Even Grande has never made more than a million dollars in dividends from the club, which is nothing compared to his business profits."
"But how could there be no dividends?" Alemany was now genuinely perplexed and a little concerned. "Son, you're not planning anything illegal, are you?"
"I would never do anything illegal," José laughed, touched by his father's concern. "Once I own 60% of the shares, I'll have decision-making power. With that power, I can reinvest any profits back into the club, for maintenance or expansion. There are many areas where the club needs investment. With me in control, the other shareholders can complain, but they can't overturn my decisions. If they're unhappy, they can leave their shares and walk away.