I Am Jose-Chapter 160 - : A Brand-New Experience

The first round of the Champions League was filled with surprises.

Arsenal's loss to Mallorca was an upset, as was Bayern Munich's draw against Sparta Prague, Deportivo La Coruña being held by Olympiacos, and Liverpool failing to beat Boavista. However, Roma's 1-2 home defeat to Real Madrid was not exactly shocking.

The most amusing turn of events for Mallorca fans was Schalke 04's humiliating 0-2 home loss to Greek side Panathinaikos. This was particularly ironic because, after the group draw, Schalke's general manager confidently claimed, "We have a great chance to qualify as the second-placed team. Both Mallorca and Panathinaikos are weaker than us." Now, after the first round, it was Mallorca and Panathinaikos sitting at the top of the group, while Schalke 04's bold words seemed utterly ridiculous.

After the match, José didn't hold back in his post-game interview:

"We are a strong team. Last season, we were La Liga runners-up. Two seasons ago, three Spanish teams reached the Champions League semifinals. Last season, two La Liga sides made it to the final four. To finish second in such a competitive league is proof of our strength. I don't understand why some still consider Mallorca a weak team based solely on past impressions. That's an absurd way of judging teams. In this regard, UEFA has been more professional—at least they rated us as a second-tier team in the group draw."

José's remarks were a direct slap in the face for the German media, who initially thought Schalke 04 had gotten an easy group. They believed Arsenal was the only real threat, but after the first round, Arsenal and Schalke had both lost, while the supposed "whipping boys"—Mallorca and Panathinaikos—were leading the group.

Spanish clubs as a whole had performed well in the opening round. Other than Deportivo La Coruña's draw, Mallorca had stunned Arsenal 2-0 at home, Real Madrid won 2-1 away against Roma, and Barcelona comfortably defeated Fenerbahçe 3-0 in Turkey. The dominance of La Liga in the Champions League remained evident.

For Mallorca, the upcoming schedule was relentless—back-to-back fixtures every week. This was a stark contrast to the previous two seasons, and José knew that adapting to such a tight schedule would be a crucial challenge for his team.

In the past, Mallorca's strategy had been simple: take one game at a time. Last season, their focus was entirely on the league, with the Copa del Rey being a secondary concern. José could afford to rotate players selectively while building a strong squad. But now, with the need for squad rotation, the real test was maintaining their competitive edge despite frequent changes to the starting lineup.

Just four days after their triumph over Arsenal, Mallorca faced Alavés at home in their third league match of the season.

Alavés had weakened significantly this season. Their top scorer, Moreno, and key winger, Contra, had both been poached by AC Milan. Despite this, Alavés had started the league campaign well, winning their first two games 2-0 against newly promoted Tenerife and a strong Real Sociedad side. With the same points and goal difference as Mallorca, they sat joint fourth in the standings.

This was the typical story for smaller teams—an impressive start that earned them media praise before they inevitably faded as the season progressed. Occasionally, an underdog might overperform and break into the top spots, but sustaining that level was rare. Mallorca themselves had been in that situation before—occasionally catching the world's attention but mostly remaining in the shadows.

José's goal was to change that narrative.

Against Alavés, José made adjustments to his midfield and attack. Capdevila was rested, with Kaladze taking over at left-back. Nadal and Niño partnered in central defense, while Jorge played as right-back. The midfield trio consisted of Pablo García, Motta, and Novo, while Ronaldinho, Eto'o, and Klasnić formed the attacking trio—utilizing speed and agility to break down the opposition.

Alavés had strengthened their defense by acquiring Coloccini on loan from AC Milan, while Uruguayan striker Iván Alonso led their attack. Their overall strategy remained attack-oriented, but their goal-scoring efficiency had dropped. However, their defense had improved.

Mallorca approached this game with patience, opting for a proactive counter-attacking style. The center-back duo of Nadal and Niño successfully neutralized Alonso, while Ronaldinho, Eto'o, and Klasnić continuously troubled Alavés' defense.

In the end, Mallorca secured a 2-0 victory in the most efficient way possible, with Eto'o and Ronaldinho each scoring. This win extended their unbeaten run to three games. Meanwhile, Celta Vigo was held to a draw, Villarreal suffered a two-goal defeat to Tenerife, and Deportivo La Coruña lost at home to Athletic Bilbao. As a result, Mallorca stood alone at the top of the table with nine points—their first time leading La Liga since the 1998-99 season.

Real Madrid and Barcelona continued to struggle. Madrid suffered a shocking 1-3 away defeat to newly promoted Real Betis, dropping into the relegation zone, while Barcelona was held to a goalless draw against Osasuna, leaving them in eighth place.

Valencia, however, won their match and climbed to fourth, just two points behind Mallorca.

"The big teams are struggling this season, but we can't afford to be overconfident. Playing in both the league and the Champions League is a new challenge for us. The early phase of the season will be crucial—if we can adapt quickly, we won't fall behind later."

This was José's message to his team after the match. The season had just begun, and any complacency could lead to a disastrous ending.

With barely any time to rest, Mallorca immediately flew to Greece for their second Champions League match. Before the tournament began, many had predicted this game would be a battle between two teams fighting for a Europa League spot. Instead, it had turned into a clash for first place in the group.

"Don't underestimate Panathinaikos. Schalke 04 already made that mistake. This is the Champions League—every team here is among the best in their leagues. If we consider Panathinaikos a weak team, then by that logic, so are we. We have nothing to be proud of yet. Our goal is simply to qualify for the next round."

Panathinaikos was an unfamiliar opponent, but one thing was clear—they were an attacking team. They had already shown their strength by beating Schalke 04 away from home, and they would undoubtedly be eager to defeat Mallorca at home to gain an advantage in the group.

Engaging in an all-out attack against them on their home turf would be reckless. A draw would be a perfectly acceptable result, allowing Mallorca to conserve energy for their upcoming league fixtures against Villarreal, Celta Vigo, and Barcelona—three challenging away games.

With that in mind, José set up a more conservative lineup:

Goalkeeper: Franco

Defenders: Campano, Capdevila, Nadal, Van Buyten

Midfielders: Kaladze, Motta, Pablo García

Forwards: Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Luque

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José had been increasingly favoring Campano this season. Though not the most talented player, he was reliable, hardworking, and tactically disciplined—similar to Inter Milan's legendary captain Zanetti, albeit less gifted. When Mallorca needed attacking support from full-backs, Jorge would play; when they needed defensive stability, Campano was the choice.

As expected, Panathinaikos came out aggressively, pressing hard from the start. Croatian striker Vlaović and Greek international Karagounis led their attack, creating several real threats.

"These Greeks are really coming at us hard," Nadal muttered after Franco barely tipped a long-range effort over the bar.

José shrugged. It was no surprise. Greek teams were strong and disciplined. Their future European Championship triumph in 2004 would be no fluke—they might lack superstars, but they were solid, hardworking, and well-organized.

Still, Mallorca was used to dealing with pressure. With strong center-backs and solid defensive support from midfield, they could withstand Panathinaikos' attacks.

Watching Franco make another crucial save, José rubbed his chin. "Leo's getting better—his reflexes, positioning... everything looks sharper."

Maybe giving him more starts was paying off. Having trained under the experienced Roa, Franco's development was proving to be an unexpected bonus.