It wasn't that the people of Mallorca were overly greedy. Just breaking into the top four had already made them ecstatic. However, the difference between finishing second and third was significant. The painful mory of failing in the Champions League qualifiers two seasons ago was still fresh in their minds. How could they not be anxious?
This was a classic case of fear of loss after experiencing gain.
Yet, after losing this match, José surprisingly felt relieved.
Losing now was disappointing, but it was far better than losing at the final mont. At least with this defeat, the pressure of maintaining an unbeaten streak was lifted from Mallorca's players. They no longer had to start every match thinking, "We absolutely can't lose, or the streak will end." Instead, they could approach gas with a more relaxed mindset.
Besides, Deportivo La Coruña had only managed a draw, aning they were ahead by just one point. José didn't believe Deportivo could win all of their last five matches. And even if they did, so what? As long as Mallorca secured a top-four finish, their goal would be accomplished.
Of course, José wouldn't let this mindset show. If the team settled for "just keeping a top-four spot" instead of aiming for "a top-two finish to qualify directly for the Champions League," they might not even hold onto fourth place.
What pleased José the most was that after this defeat, his players didn't beco complacent, thinking, "Our top-four spot is still safe, so it doesn't matter." That attitude would have been truly dangerous. Barcelona and Valencia were formidable opponents, and if they found themselves on the verge of missing out on Champions League qualification, they might unleash their full strength in a last-ditch effort.
"Alright, we lost that match, but sulking won't change anything."
Three days after the ga, José clapped his hands on the training ground to get everyone's attention. The atmosphere had been heavy since the loss, and he needed to change that. Letting the gloom linger too long would hurt morale.
"Our loss in the last match was a mistake... We shouldn't have lost to a relegation-battling team like Osasuna. And it's not the first ti this season. We've beaten powerhouses like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Deportivo, yet we've also lost to struggling teams like Osasuna and Racing Santander. This shows that we're still inconsistent."
José paused, then smiled.
"But I see that as a good thing! Inconsistency ans we haven't reached our peak yet. It ans we still have room to grow, and that excites . Now, our job is to get rid of that inconsistency and show our full potential. Tell —can we do that?"
The Mallorca players exchanged glances. Slowly, their determination reignited.
The boss is right. We're inconsistent. We can beat top teams but also slip against weaker ones. But if we can improve, then we can be even better!
"We can do it, boss!" Ronaldinho was the first to respond. Soon, Eto'o, Motta, Luque, and the other young players nodded in agreent. They were young, fearless, and full of potential.
"Good. Then prove it to . We have five matches left. We need to win them all. First up—Celta Vigo." José grinned. "We're aiming for second place, and Deportivo is in our way. But we're not just competing with them. Barcelona and Valencia are lurking, waiting to steal our Champions League spot. And don't forget Celta—they're sixth, just two points behind Barcelona and only nine behind us.
"If we lose to them, not only will our perfect ho record be gone, but they'll close the gap to six points. That would make the top-four battle even more chaotic, and chaos isn't good for us. But if we beat them... what's the gap then?"
"Twelve points," a player in the crowd answered.
José glanced around and then smiled. "Correct. Simple math."
The players chuckled. It really was simple math.
"So, it's twelve points, nine points, or six points. But I don't want nine or six. I only want twelve. This next ga, we defend our perfect ho record—not just for , but for all of Mallorca. Celta is strong, but we have no reason to fear them. Control the midfield, attack, and we will win. They've been great in the second half of the season, almost like we were last year. But this ti, we show them—we are the ones who create miracles, not them!"
"That's right! We are the miracle makers!" The players roared, their earlier frustration over losing second place completely wiped away.
On May 13th, Mallorca hosted Celta Vigo.
Both teams were in exceptional form. In their last nine league matches, Mallorca had won six, drawn two, and lost just one—defeating giants like Deportivo and Real Madrid. But Celta's record was even more impressive: seven wins, one draw, and one loss.
Celta had also just gone through a brutal run of fixtures against Deportivo, Barcelona, and Real Madrid—and erged with two wins and a draw. They had beaten Deportivo 2-1 at ho, held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw away, and demolished Real Madrid 3-0 in their last match. Their form was nothing short of sensational.
"Mallorca and Celta are the biggest revelations of this La Liga season," the Spanish dia declared.
Now, the two biggest surprises of the season would go head-to-head.
Would Mallorca's Brazilian midfield duo, Motta and Ronaldinho, dominate, or would Celta's Russian duo, Karpin and Mostovoi, prove more experienced? Would Celta's Brazilian striker Catanha continue his scoring streak, or would Mallorca's Caroonian predator, Eto'o, take center stage?
No one expected that the match's hero would be soone else entirely—thanks to a tactical switch from José.
José surprised everyone by starting Campano at right-back and pushing George up to midfield, while Ibagaza was benched. This tactical tweak completely disrupted Celta's defensive setup, especially on set pieces.
The match was deadlocked in the first half, but just two minutes into the second, a corner changed everything.
Ronaldinho delivered the ball into the box. With Celta's defenders focused on Luque, Motta, Kaladze, Nadal, and Niño, George—who had pushed forward—used his height advantage to head the ball into the net. It was his first goal since José took over!
Then, in the 78th minute, after a cross from substitute Novo, George struck again—another header, sealing a 2-0 victory!
Nobody had expected that in a match featuring so many attacking stars, the ga's hero would be a 30-year-old veteran who had transitioned from attacker to defender.
After the final whistle, George excitedly hugged José. He had never complained about being moved to full-back, but now that he had been pushed forward again, he felt the thrill of attacking return to him. And this match had rewarded him for it.
With this win, Mallorca effectively eliminated another competitor. Four matches remained, and Celta—now 12 points behind—was out of the race for the Champions League spots. Mallorca's only remaining challengers were Deportivo, Valencia, and Barcelona.
Real Madrid? Despite being held to a draw by Espanyol, they still led Deportivo by six points and Mallorca by seven. Unless Madrid collapsed with consecutive losses, the title was out of reach.
Still, Mallorca was in an excellent position. Valencia suffered a shocking loss to Málaga and now trailed Mallorca by four points. Barcelona won their match but still sat seven points behind.
"If Barça can catch up to us, then we should be able to dream about catching Madrid," José mused.
Mallorca's montum continued. A week later, Luque scored the only goal in a 1-0 away win against Espanyol.
Yet, their rivals remained relentless—Deportivo, Valencia, Barcelona, and even Real Madrid all secured wins.
"No matter what others do, our only goal is to win every remaining match. If we do that and still don't finish second, so be it. At least we gave it our all. And that's enough," José declared at the post-match press conference.
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