Chapter 89: A Pleasant Conversation with Hill

José's question left Ronaldinho deep in thought, to the point where he didn't even notice José's departure. He was lost in his own contemplation.

Ronaldinho began his career as a forward. At the time, Ronaldo was at the peak of his career, and due to Ronaldinho's natural talent, his similar crooked teeth, and his name, not playing as a forward would have been a wasted opportunity for someone with the title "Little Ronaldo."

He indeed performed exceptionally as a forward, whether it was being the top scorer in the Confederations Cup or his performances in the U-20 World Cup, the Copa América, Olympic qualifiers, or the Brazilian domestic leagues. His goal-scoring rate was impressive, and he was a competent forward. However, during the Olympics, Ronaldinho began to realize that being a pure forward wasn't the best fit for him. His skill set made him more suitable as a second striker or even as a player lurking behind one or two powerful center-forwards, taking advantage of his late runs and his playmaking abilities. He played in many positions over the years—second striker, attacking midfielder, wing forward, even left-wing in a three-forward system—and he was effective in all of them. However, the constant positional changes greatly affected his consistency and performance.

When he joined Mallorca, Ronaldinho believed that he would either replace the soon-to-depart Stankovic as a left-winger or play as a forward. He had no issues with either position. If he partnered with Delgado in the attack, he would have support, and Mallorca's style of play, blending wing and central attacking movements, was exactly what he enjoyed.

Yet, José's question about his favorite position threw him off. It was rare for coaches to ask players such a question, especially a newcomer. However, José's sincere inquiry made him think deeply about the matter. The more he thought, the more confused he became, because he felt that he had done well in all those positions. Although playing as a forward was prestigious, Ronaldinho wasn't the type of player who only enjoyed scoring goals. He found joy in assisting teammates, even without scoring himself.

After signing with Mallorca, his brother Assis returned to Brazil. Ronaldinho's family situation was difficult after his father's passing. It was only after becoming a professional footballer that things began to improve. Although his salary had doubled after signing with Mallorca, it still wasn't enough for the whole family to relocate to Spain.

Since he was eight years old, Ronaldinho had seen his brother as a father figure. After their father passed away, it was his brother who supported the family. Whenever he faced challenges, he consulted Assis, who strictly imposed rules on him, such as forbidding him from drinking, going to nightclubs, or chasing after women. These rules were instrumental in Ronaldinho's success in the years to come.

Now that Assis wasn't around, Ronaldinho had to deal with these struggles alone.

As Ronaldinho was lost in thought, José had already finished his team's training session, leaving it to Natal to handle, while he himself flew to Madrid.

Before leaving Mallorca, José gave an important task: he instructed the club's scouts to gather all the player data that had been collected in recent months, especially regarding potential transfer targets. Upon his return to Madrid, he would review these reports.

José was beginning to feel overwhelmed. As a hands-on head coach, his role in training was significant. Until he could form a full assistant coaching staff, he had to take care of many things himself, including managing the transfer process, which was becoming increasingly time-consuming.

José's trip to Madrid had a specific purpose. Just a few days ago, Mallorca received an offer from Atlético Madrid—not from Real Madrid, but from the struggling Atlético, currently in La Liga 2.

Their targets were two players: the first was Bogus, who had become a backup goalkeeper after José's appointment, and the second was Biajini, also sidelined. Both players were Argentine.

After Atlético Madrid's relegation, most of their players had moved on—Bellerón to La Coruña, Baraja to Valencia, Solari to Real Madrid, Hasselbaink to Chelsea, and Molina to La Coruña. The team had been broken up, leaving only captain Kiko, who was still with the club, offering a glimmer of hope.

Atlético fans hoped for a quick return to La Liga, especially since they still had a few key players, including the forward Kiko, midfielder Aguillera, and defender Toni. However, their situation was more dire than they expected. Despite maintaining a steady position in the top six of the second division, they couldn't break into the top three, and at one point, their rank was even lower than Mallorca's B team. The main reason for their poor performance was significant issues in both offense and defense.

After Molina left, Atlético's goalkeeper Toni, who had briefly been a starter last season, performed poorly. He often made mistakes, and nearly every dangerous shot resulted in a goal. Atlético had lost several games they shouldn't have because of his errors.

On the attacking side, fans were initially excited by the retention of club legend Kiko, with the slogan "With Kiko, there is hope." However, since the start of this season, Kiko's performances had been underwhelming, and injuries kept him from being effective. Meanwhile, another highly anticipated young star, Torres, had been injured since the season began and would be unavailable for most of the season. Atlético desperately needed a new forward to bolster their attack.

Atlético's interest in Bogus was based on his reliable performances as a starting goalkeeper before the season. As for Biajini, Atlético hoped to bring him back due to his past success with the club, especially the 1995-96 season when Atlético won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey. It was one of the most glorious periods in the club's history.

José knew that these two Argentine players were exactly what Atlético needed. Despite the non-EU status of Bogus, Atlético still had room for another non-EU player, so the move was feasible.

After receiving the offer, José flew to Madrid—he intended to negotiate carefully.

A few days ago, Atlético Madrid president Hill had faced a commercial violation ban but was reinstated shortly thereafter. Despite this, he couldn't prevent the team's relegation. Known as "the man who hates Real Madrid the most in the world," Hill was beloved by Atlético Madrid fans and was considered the club's best president. He had gained a mixed reputation for his actions over the years, but his peak came when Atlético won their double titles in the 1995-96 season. However, his decision to disband Atlético's youth team, which allowed Raúl to join Real Madrid, left fans disheartened.

For José, it didn't matter who Hill was; what mattered was what Mallorca could gain from this transfer.

Although Atlético had lost many key players, there were still some valuable assets that José coveted.

One of them was the talented forward Torres. Having led Spain's youth team to victory in the UEFA European U-16 Championship and winning both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball, he was a player José would have no chance of signing under normal circumstances. However, due to his ongoing injury, Torres had been sidelined for most of the season. Atlético Madrid, in urgent need of a quick return to La Liga, might not be able to wait for him to recover, presenting José with an opportunity.

As Mallorca's head coach, technical director, and major shareholder, José had the leverage to negotiate directly with Hill, who was eager to engage with him.

Hill had controlled Atlético Madrid for over 90% of its shares for a long time and had an unprecedented influence over the club. At 67 years old, he had seen it all in Spanish football and had a remarkable and controversial history. From being imprisoned by Franco's regime to facing investigations by Spain's democratic government, he had survived economic crimes, built a political career, and even managed his hometown of Marbella like a mob boss. His life was truly extraordinary.

Though Hill's appearance was unassuming—short and balding—his energy was remarkable. Upon meeting José, Hill was delighted and shook his hand warmly. "I'm so glad to meet you. Your father, Alemani, was a great friend of mine. It's an honor to now negotiate with his son."

"I've heard a lot about you from my father… I've always admired you," José responded politely.

"I've heard of your work as well. Haha, you've done well! To manage a club, you must get rid of the useless ones in the board. Dictatorship, democracy—who cares? Hypocritical democracy only stagnates a club. The only way to make a club prosper is to completely own it," Hill laughed, clearly impressed with José's approach.

José agreed, "You're absolutely right. Too many incompetent people in management can only hold the club back. If you don't kick them out, the club will never move forward. After all, we're not a member-based club."

Hill burst into hearty laughter. He now found José even more likable…