Monaco, Stade Louis II.
Over 10,000 Monaco fans sat in stunned silence as Mallorca's players celebrated wildly on the pitch. It was as though they were trapped in a nightmare...
Within just thirteen minutes of kickoff, the Mallorca players—armed with a three-goal lead—did not opt for a defensive counterattack strategy as everyone had expected. Instead, they launched an aggressive offense right from the start, as if they were the team trailing by three goals!
At the five-minute mark, Tristan smashed Stankovic's cross into Barthez's net with a dominant header. Despite being marked by Christanval, even he couldn't stop Tristan—the human tank—from bulldozing his way through!
Eight minutes later, Eto'o showcased his lightning speed. Picking up the ball in midfield, he surged forward, leaving Monaco's last defender in his dust, and coolly slotted home his first-ever goal in European competition!
"Well done!" José punched the air triumphantly. Two away goals and a five-goal aggregate lead meant that Monaco would now have to score six goals to advance—a near-impossible feat!
And what followed all but sealed Monaco's fate.
With their commanding advantage, Mallorca maintained solid defense until the 72nd minute, when Pršo scored for Monaco. Gallardo added another during injury time, but it was too little, too late. The 2-2 draw at home meant Monaco were eliminated with a 6-3 aggregate score. Mallorca marched proudly into the UEFA Cup quarterfinals!
Returning to Spain, however, Mallorca found themselves overshadowed by other events. Deportivo La Coruña narrowly defeated Arsenal 2-1 at home but were eliminated by the Premier League powerhouse. Atlético Madrid suffered a 4-2 defeat away to Lens, bowing out as well.
Meanwhile, Celta Vigo pulled off an extraordinary performance, shocking everyone. Makélélé opened the scoring, McCarthy bagged a brace, and Bülent Korkmaz's own goal sealed a stunning 4-0 home victory over Juventus, securing a 4-1 aggregate triumph.
The entire football world was stunned.
Juventus—what kind of team were they? Although their previous season had been mediocre, they had made the Champions League semifinals the year before, only to be knocked out by Manchester United. They had a star-studded squad featuring Del Piero, Inzaghi, Zidane, and Deschamps. This season, they were back to their best, sitting near the top of the Serie A table with a strong chance of winning the league title.
Yet, they were utterly dismantled by mid-table La Liga side Celta Vigo—a result that sent shockwaves across Europe!
Unsurprisingly, when Mallorca returned to Spain, they were not the center of media attention. All eyes were on Celta Vigo. The media sang praises for Vigo's stars: the midfield duo of Karpin and Mostovoi, striker McCarthy, Makélélé's defensive prowess, and Juanfran's assists. Pundits declared this result as proof that La Liga had overtaken Serie A as Europe's premier league.
Mallorca's players felt slighted. Despite also making the UEFA Cup quarterfinals, they were being ignored. But José welcomed this development.
"Fame is fleeting," he told his players. "Don't forget how the media lauded us after we beat Monaco or after our five-game league win streak. Also, don't forget how they treated us during our two-game winless stretch. The media never truly stands by us. They only chase success. So, there's no need to be upset. Let's focus on what we can control—our own performance."
Standing on the training ground, José directed his comments at a few young players. Veterans like Nadal, with seven or eight seasons of La Liga experience, were unfazed by the media's fickle nature. The frustration was mainly among the younger players in the forward line.
Tristan, for one, still looked disgruntled. José chuckled. "Come on, Diego. If the media doesn't hype you up, are you saying you can't perform on the pitch?"
For someone like Tristan, a little provocation worked wonders. His eyes widened as he retorted, "Of course not! I'll keep scoring goals, no matter what those guys write!"
"That's the spirit." José grinned. "With the media busy praising Celta Vigo, we can train in peace. But don't forget your words, Diego—you need to score at least one goal in our next game to help us win!"
"Got it, boss! Count on me!" Tristan replied confidently.
José's gaze shifted to Eto'o, who simply nodded with a determined expression.
Mallorca's next league game was at home against Málaga.
This season, Málaga's performance had been average. They had 37 points, making them one of Mallorca's relegation rivals. Mallorca, with 28 points, were second from bottom. Ahead of them were Real Betis (30 points), Atlético Madrid (31 points), Real Oviedo (31 points), Numancia (34 points), Racing Santander (36 points), and Málaga (37 points).
This narrow gap in points was why José didn't believe survival was out of reach. With only a 9-point difference between 19th-place Mallorca and 13th-place Málaga, and just 10 points separating Mallorca from the top 10, a few wins could drastically change the standings.
However, José also had concerns. Although the league schedule was one game per week, the UEFA Cup schedule was tightening. Back-to-back quarterfinal legs on March 17 and March 23 loomed, posing a tough challenge for Mallorca's aging squad.
José's solution was to conserve the defense's energy by having them focus solely on defending, leaving the attack to the forwards.
José disliked this separation of attack and defense. Modern football required defenders to contribute to the offense. But Mallorca's full-backs lacked attacking ability and couldn't recover quickly enough when they did venture forward.
Fortunately, Mallorca's attack was formidable. Tristan, a mini Vieri, and Eto'o, a young Ronaldo, had developed a strong partnership, making Mallorca's offense comparable to the league's top teams.
Buoyed by the home crowd's cheers, Mallorca continued their fine form. Tristan and Eto'o each scored, securing a 2-0 victory over Málaga. Mallorca now had 31 points.
Elsewhere, Real Betis drew 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano, Atlético Madrid lost 1-0 to Valladolid, Racing Santander fell to Zaragoza, and Numancia drew 1-1 with Real Oviedo.
Thanks to a superior goal difference, Mallorca climbed to 17th place, overtaking Real Betis and Atlético Madrid. They were now just one point behind Real Oviedo (32 points), four behind Numancia (35 points), five behind Racing Santander (36 points), and six behind Málaga (37 points).
For the first time in six rounds, Mallorca had escaped the relegation zone!
Mallorca fans erupted with joy. In just two months, under José's leadership, the team had gone from almost-certain relegation to survival contention with a record of six wins, one draw, and one loss in eight games—a miraculous turnaround!
But José remained composed.
"The season isn't over yet," he said at the post-match press conference. "We haven't secured survival. While the current situation is favorable, we must maintain this momentum through the final ten matches."
He knew that relegation battles were brutal, and a single misstep could spell disaster.
With 31 points, survival was still far from guaranteed.
As Mallorca prepared for their UEFA Cup quarterfinal, they faced the daunting prospect of back-to-back fixtures. This grueling schedule would test the limits of their veteran squad. José had rotated his starters in the previous round, but this time, there might be no such luxury.