I Am Jose-Chapter 71 - : Season Finale

When the final round of La Liga kicked off this season, José's surgery was still a day away.

Although it was decided that he would rest, José still sat in front of the television, watching the match and drooling over Atlético Madrid's lineup—Molina, Gamara, Capdevila, Baraja, Solari, Beléron, Hasselbaink, Kiko, José Mari... This was a squad with the potential to challenge for the title. However, Ranieri couldn't save Atlético, and neither could Antic, who took over midway through the season.

At this thought, José couldn't help but curse the shareholders of Mallorca. If he had control over the team, this would have been a golden opportunity to strengthen their squad without spending too much. He wouldn't hesitate to sign players like Capdevila, Baraja, Solari, and Beléron. Stealing players from a relegated team was a win-win situation—cheap and it saved the relegated team from paying wages...

But now, José could only watch helplessly as this opportunity slipped away, and it only strengthened his resolve to gain control of Mallorca's club as quickly as possible.

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In the end, the match ended in a 2-2 draw. Mallorca secured a perfect result at home, while Atlético Madrid salvaged a bit of dignity.

With La Liga wrapped up, Deportivo La Coruña made history by winning their first-ever La Liga title. Barcelona finished second, Valencia took third, and Zaragoza came in fourth. Real Madrid finished fifth, just one point behind, but they still had a chance to qualify for next season's Champions League. If they won the Champions League final against Valencia, they would qualify as the Champions League winners. As it happened, Real Madrid did indeed win the Champions League, and the Spanish Football Federation convinced Zaragoza to relinquish their Champions League spot. Real Madrid qualified as the reigning champions.

Mallorca ended up in eighth place with a record of 16 wins, 6 draws, and 16 losses, accumulating 54 points. In the first 20 rounds, their record was a mere 3 wins, 3 draws, and 14 losses. But under José's leadership, they turned things around. In the final 18 rounds, they achieved 13 wins, 3 draws, and only 2 losses, making them the best team in the second half of the season! Considering that they were only 9 points behind fourth-placed Zaragoza and 15 points behind league leaders Deportivo La Coruña, had they performed better in the first half of the season, a title challenge might not have been out of the question...

Tristan also performed brilliantly after José took over. He had scored only five goals in the first half of the season, but in the second half, he scored an incredible 15 goals, ending the season with 20 league goals, outscoring stars like Raúl, Kluivert, Mendieta, Rivaldo, and Morientes to finish sixth in the La Liga top scorer rankings. Ahead of him were Santander's Salvador with 27 goals, Atlético Madrid's Hasselbaink with 25 goals, Málaga's Catanha with 24 goals, Deportivo La Coruña's Makaay with 22 goals, and Zaragoza's Milošević with 21 goals. To achieve this in his first La Liga season, it was no wonder that many believed he would become Spain's most brilliant striker. It was even rumored that the national team coach, Camacho, was considering replacing the underperforming Morientes with Tristan for the upcoming European Championship...

Samuel Eto'o also impressed in the second half of the season, scoring 7 goals. More importantly, his presence provided Mallorca with more attacking options.

Ibagasa contributed 3 goals and 8 assists, and Stankovic also performed well.

As for captain N'Gonga, he shone in the second half of the season. As Mallorca's midfield anchor, his performances were on par with his previous season's form. He continued to contribute defensively while taking complete control of the tempo in attack!

The veteran defense line, made up mostly of older players, also played exceptionally well in the second half of the season. With nearly perfect attendance, they performed at a top level in every match. Their contribution was key to Mallorca's resurgence.

Speaking of which, Mallorca fans couldn't forget one player lying in the hospital—a touching scene unfolded after the final match when the fans, under the guidance of the stadium announcer, shouted José's name and wished him a speedy recovery so he could continue leading Mallorca forward!

This incredibly moving moment brought tears to José's eyes as he watched on TV. The achievements he had made in the second half of the season truly deserved such a tribute.

Before his surgery, the disbanded Mallorca players all came to visit him, and Eto'o was no exception.

"Boss, I'm leaving," Eto'o said as he sat by José's bed.

"Hmm, your loan spell is over, and now you're part of Real Madrid," José chuckled. "So, how was your time at Mallorca this half-season?"

"It was enjoyable," Eto'o replied simply, but he seemed a bit awkward looking at José. He hadn't planned to stay at Mallorca. He wanted to return to Real Madrid, as Piri, who had brought him from Africa, had called to tell him his performance had been good, and next season, he'd be getting more chances under coach Bosque.

In a club like Real Madrid, even if he was only a substitute, getting a chance to play in ten or more matches a season was much better than being a starter at a mid-tier team like Mallorca.

Moreover, it was Real Madrid that had brought him from poverty in Africa, so in his eyes, Real Madrid had a far greater debt of gratitude than Mallorca.

José understood Eto'o's thoughts. He hadn't expected to win over the "Cameroonian Leopard" in just half a season. José knew Eto'o wouldn't get many chances at Real Madrid, and history would show that their relationship was never meant to work.

José wasn't sure why Eto'o couldn't break through at Real Madrid, but he didn't need to. The truth was simple: Eto'o and Real Madrid were not a good match. He was destined to be a Mallorca player...

"Do well when you return to Real Madrid! It's a shame I can't decide who to sign for the club, but if the opportunity arises, and if you're not happy at Real Madrid, you're always welcome at Mallorca. I'll use you," José said, laughing at Eto'o.

Eto'o looked at José, feeling grateful, and nodded earnestly.

After sending Eto'o off, José had little else to do, and the time for his surgery quietly arrived.

On the day of the surgery, many Mallorca fans gathered outside the hospital to pray for José, even though they knew it was just a minor operation. It was their way of showing their support.

Many reporters also showed up to cover the story, but Perissas, the head of security at the hospital, had them kept outside. His reason was simple: patients shouldn't be disturbed in the hospital.

Clearly, Perissas was an expert in sports injuries, and under his watch, the surgery went smoothly. When José woke up, Perissas informed him that the surgery was a success. As long as José followed the prescribed rehabilitation plan, he would be back on his feet in a few months.

Perissas also cautioned José that his body seemed to lack proper physical activity, and this needed to be addressed. Long periods of paperwork and neglecting exercise could cause his body to deteriorate.

José found this strange, as his physical condition had always been good, and he had often exercised. However, after thinking about it, he understood. Ever since he began studying coaching five years ago, he had focused so intensely on his studies that he had neglected his fitness, especially during the first three years of theoretical courses. In the past two years, although he had been training players on the field, he hadn't paid enough attention to his own physical fitness. Recently, he had been so immersed in paperwork that his health had gradually worsened. But Perissas reassured him that at 26, he was still young and could recover. With proper care and consistent exercise, his physical condition would improve—after all, he wasn't yet 30, so recovery was possible.

Perissas also said, "Health before 30 relies on talent, after 30, it's all about maintenance."

José listened attentively. He was still young and didn't want his body to deteriorate; there was so much more ahead of him.

After hearing about the successful surgery and knowing that recovery would take a few months, Mallorca fans were relieved. However, they began to wonder: who would be the head coach of Mallorca next season? Would they let assistant coach Natal take over temporarily while José recovered, or would they hire someone else?

Of course, the fans wanted José to continue as coach, as he only needed rest. He could still make decisions remotely without having to be physically present.

But others had different opinions.

At the shareholders' meeting, Juan Asensio favored having Natal take over for a while until José was fully recovered, partly due to the good relationship between the Asensio family and the Alemanys, as well as his personal ties with José. However, the second-largest shareholder, Grande, strongly disagreed. He didn't oppose it directly but expressed concern for José's health, fearing that he might be overworked during his recovery. He argued that Mallorca needed to start preparing for next season's Champions League campaign, and couldn't solely rely on José.

Grande's reasoning was strong, but Juan's influence wasn't enough to persuade him. In the end, Alemany intervened, calming the dispute. He explained that his son wasn't interested in remotely managing the club, especially since he had only been acting as interim coach. He would have continued coaching if it weren't for his injury, but his current condition didn't allow for it...

Seeing Alemany, José's father, take such a stance, Juan had no further objections and reluctantly agreed with Grande and Alemany's proposal. If his father had been present, he would have used his authority to silence the opposition, but Juan still lacked that kind of decisiveness.