José firmly believed in the abilities of Mota and Luke. Despite their youth, Luke was nearly 22, and Mota, though still under 18, was already quite skilled. If it weren't for the established first-team players like N'Gonga and Tristan occupying their positions, José would have promoted them to the first team long ago. But given that Mota could also play as an attacking midfielder and Luke could fill in as a left-winger, José had his reasons for not using these two players right away.
Things were different now in La Liga compared to a few years ago. In the future, each first-team squad would be limited to just 25 players, with fixed jersey numbers from 1 to 25, no larger numbers allowed, and no mid-season promotions from the second team. Players could only be added during summer and winter transfers. So, once a player lost their first-team number, they would have no chance of playing for at least half a season. But right now, there was still the option to promote players from the second team.
The reason José wasn't using these two players for now was simple: he planned to only coach for half the season and then work towards gaining control of the club. If Mota and Luke performed too well during that time, the board would likely sell them, and José didn't want to lose two of his best assets. He wanted to keep them until he had more power over transfers.
José acknowledged that he had personal reasons for how he was handling Mota and Luke, but so what? Everyone had their own selfish motives. He didn't think he was doing anything wrong. It was better for them to get more experience in the second division rather than be benchwarmers in the first team, especially Mota. He needed more time to get accustomed to the Spanish style of play.
Now, promoting them to the first team was more about letting them get used to the tempo of the first team. The season was almost over, so not playing a few more games in the second division wouldn't matter much. It was good for them to get a feel for La Liga, and especially for experiencing the atmosphere of the UEFA Cup final.
When José brought Mota and Luke to the first-team training field, captain N'Gonga welcomed them on behalf of the team. Their former teammates, Tristan and Franco, were also excited to greet them. No one objected to José's decision. His timing was perfect. If he had promoted players from the second team right after taking over, the first-team players might have felt that their new coach was favoring his own men and disregarding the veterans. Mallorca had many older players, and a strong veteran faction had formed. Going against them would have been dangerous, even for someone like José. But now, with the team already safe from relegation, promoting young players wouldn't upset the veterans.
After a few relatively light training days, Mallorca faced Real Betis in the 35th round of the league.
For Real Betis, this season had been a nightmare.
With 36 points, they were tied with Atlético Madrid, and only ahead of Oviedo (38 points), Numancia (40 points), and Santander (41 points). The other teams were already safe, and the remaining relegation spots would likely be decided between these five teams. Betis was in the worst position.
If Betis couldn't get three points against a Mallorca team that had already secured survival, their relegation would be all but guaranteed. But could Betis really win against a Mallorca team that had been on a perfect winning streak at home since José took over?
Before this match, Betis had gone ten games without a win. In those ten matches, they had drawn six and lost four, picking up only six points. What's worse, they had scored more than one goal only in their 2-2 draw at home against Santander, and in all other games, their attack had been pitifully weak. Given this, could they escape from the formidable atmosphere of Son Moix stadium with a positive result?
Despite boasting stars like former La Liga top scorer Alfonso, world's most expensive winger Denílson, and Nigerian top winger Finidi George from Ajax, Betis had been disappointing.
Alfonso, the top scorer of the 96-97 season, had slowly declined after that. Denílson, despite his high price tag, had been underwhelming and lacked the consistency to live up to his billing. Finidi George, once an excellent winger, was now 29, and his once-dangerous sprinting ability had diminished.
These three stars had not been performing well, and despite their names, Betis's attack was weak. Their fans and board insisted on starting them every match, making it impossible for coach Hiddink to make any tactical changes.
Before the match, Hiddink had received an ultimatum from the club: win, or leave.
Hiddink was resigned to his fate. Taking over this disaster of a team halfway through the season was a mistake. With no real power or personnel, despite the club's assurance that he would have full control over tactics, the entrenched star players wielded significant influence. Hiddink could only watch as the team steadily sank deeper.
José, once interested in challenging Hiddink, quickly lost his enthusiasm when he saw the defeated expressions on the Betis players' faces. The team was on the brink of relegation, and most players had either a look of boredom or indifference. Defeating such a team didn't feel like an accomplishment.
As expected, the result of the match was a foregone conclusion.
Mallorca, full of energy, demolished the disheartened Betis 4-0 at home. Betis started with some resistance, but after Ibagasa scored in the 13th minute from N'Gonga's assist, the floodgates opened. In the 19th and 20th minutes, Eto'o and Tristan each scored a goal, sealing Betis's fate with their familiar style—Eto'o's one-on-one finish and Tristan's header from a cross.
In the second half, Eto'o scored again to make it 4-0. By this time, Betis had given up, and Hiddink stood helpless on the sideline, unable to make any impact.
What could he do? With players lacking any fight, no tactical adjustments could have saved them.
As the final whistle blew, Mallorca's fans erupted in cheers. They celebrated their team's dominant victory, and with José in charge, the team had soared to new heights.
Betis fans, on the other hand, were resigned to the fact that relegation was now almost certain. Despite a few bright moments under Hiddink, Betis had only won two matches in the second half of the season and had struggled against relegation rivals. With such results, relegation was inevitable.
As José went to shake Hiddink's hand after the match, Hiddink seemed somewhat relieved. His time at Betis had been a failure, but at least now it was over.
"Such a shame. If you were managing a better team, maybe it would have been more interesting," José said.
Hiddink smiled faintly but didn't reply. He hadn't paid much attention to José's performance at first, but now he was starting to respect the young coach.
"Maybe we'll meet again next time. When that happens, I won't disappoint anyone," Hiddink said, before walking away.
Watching Hiddink leave, José smiled lightly, muttering to himself, "Goodbye, Mr. Hiddink. Who knows when we'll meet again…"