Chapter 121: The Duel of the Generations

In their Copa del Rey match, Mallorca fielded nearly all their starters—a decision that sparked mixed reactions in the media. Some praised the club for taking the competition seriously, while others deemed it unwise since they were due to host Valencia at home over the weekend.

Valencia currently sits fourth in the league, four points ahead of Mallorca—making them a direct rival. José had been particularly irate after their last league defeat, largely because, despite Valencia losing at home to Real Madrid in the previous round, Mallorca had failed to capitalize and narrow the gap. Such missed opportunities were a significant setback in achieving the season's objectives. While a league is decided over many matches, passing up a golden chance was undeniably unfortunate.

However, José had come to a realization: beyond any three-point swing, the priority must be to stabilize the team. They had already pocketed a respectable number of points and had the foundation to solidify the squad's structure. With one or two more wins, Mallorca would gain the confidence necessary for the remainder of the season.

Thus, even with Valencia looming in the schedule, José continued to use most of his first-team players in the Copa del Rey match—first, to build further on-field understanding, and second, because Mallorca's youthful starters were in excellent physical condition.

Facing Valencia was a match José was determined to win. While they trailed Real Madrid by 14 points, the gaps with the other top teams were much smaller—four behind Valencia, six behind Barcelona, and seven behind Deportivo La Coruña. With 18 rounds left, even if head-to-head wins were hard to come by, increasing the win rate against mid-table teams and waiting for rivals to slip up would eventually create an opening. The key, however, was to avoid losing outright.

Valencia's squad had undergone major changes this season. Last season's midfield stalwarts, Gerardo and Farinos, had left, and their leading scorer López had transferred out. In their place, Valencia signed Atlético Madrid's defensive midfielder Baraja, French international Deschamps, Argentine captain Ayala, the creative Aimar, Slovenian skipper Zahovič, Norwegian forward Carew, Uruguayan striker Alonso, and promising youngster Vicente, among others. The reshuffling had worked well early in the season—Valencia even led the league for 11 rounds—but recent losses to La Coruña, Barcelona, and Real Madrid had seen them drop to fourth, even though they remained one of Spain's elite teams.

José was particularly excited about facing Coach Cúper. He knew this match would likely be his final encounter with Cúper—by historical precedent, after this season, Cúper was set to become Inter Milan's head coach, and this round would be the last meeting between Mallorca and Valencia this season. For José, it was a defining battle. Since the season began, he had gradually steered Mallorca away from the defensive identity that Cúper had instilled. Last season, due to various circumstances, he nearly gave up on matches against Valencia—but not this time. He would not relent!

Cúper had forged a rock-solid defensive reputation for Mallorca—a legacy that the club still benefited from. Now, however, José intended to use aggressive attacking play to prove to Cúper that the Mallorca he now led had learned to tear open even the finest defensive lines—yes, even those of Valencia, which are often hailed as the best in La Liga.

With few marquee clashes on the schedule, the Mallorca–Valencia match naturally became the focal point of the round. The contest between the old and the new generation of top coaches was an irresistible storyline, and reporters soon crowded around José for interviews.

"Mr. José, with Mallorca hosting Valencia and Valencia suffering three consecutive defeats, what are your chances?" one reporter asked as soon as José emerged from training.

"We aim to win every match," José replied firmly.

"Mallorca is fifth in the table—do you believe Valencia is your biggest rival?" another queried.

"Every team above us is an opponent—it's not solely about Valencia," José responded decisively.

A third reporter pressed, "How would you evaluate Coach Cúper's accomplishments at Mallorca? Do you think you've surpassed him?"

"I can't answer that. Coach Cúper was the best our club ever had, and I haven't even completed a full season yet," José said coolly.

"But you've already won the UEFA Cup—Mallorca's first European trophy," the reporter added.

"Before I lead Mallorca into the Champions League, I'd rather not discuss that," José replied, then nodded to the assembled press. "I have tremendous respect for Coach Cúper—I was once his biggest fan. But for Mallorca now, our mission is to defeat one opponent after another so that last season's UEFA Cup run isn't our only European achievement. That is my goal, and that is Mallorca's goal."

Some reporters wasted no time relaying José's words to Cúper, who burst into laughter upon hearing them.

"I'm delighted to see José with that ambition. I only regret that during my time at Mallorca, he never became the majority shareholder—otherwise, I wouldn't have had to see my top prospects leave every year," Cúper remarked.

"Coach Cúper, José says he'll lead Mallorca back to the Champions League…" another interjected.

"Mallorca is a great club, and I hope they make it to the Champions League—but don't take it away from Valencia," Cúper laughed heartily.

Before the match, both sides exchanged friendly gestures—José maintained respectful regard for Cúper, and Cúper reciprocated towards his former club. Of course, once the match began, that cordiality would vanish.

Though José insisted that every team above Mallorca was an opponent, the reality was that if Mallorca were to qualify for next season's Champions League, Valencia would be their nearest hurdle. If they could defeat Valencia, Mallorca might surge straight into the top four, even if they had once suffered a 4-0 drubbing away. Otherwise, under La Liga's head-to-head tiebreaker, Mallorca would fall behind Valencia.

But José believed the league was still long—there was no need to crunch numbers now. Winning game after game was the only proper approach.

Valencia's form this season had been stronger than last, as early season dominance had shown. Yet recently, their performance had dipped; consecutive losses to three title-contenders had dropped their championship hopes to near nothing. Cúper had also shifted more attention to the upcoming Champions League, though that didn't mean they wouldn't treat this match with utmost seriousness—the very nature of the fixture demanded it.

To counter a defensively oriented, counter-attacking side like Valencia, the best strategy was to mirror their approach: lure them forward with a threat and then hit them on the break, targeting their average-paced back line. Valencia's full-backs were aging, and defenders like Djukic and Pellegrino weren't particularly swift. Last season, Real Madrid used an unexpected counter-attacking tactic in the Champions League final to overcome Valencia. However, this season Valencia was different—at least, their central defence was tougher, and with Ayala's arrival, they weren't as frightened of a quick counter. More importantly, Mendieta was in even better form than before.

Yet José didn't want to adopt a purely counter-attacking strategy against Valencia. Not only might it prove ineffective, but he also wanted to demonstrate that his approach wasn't solely built on the defensive foundation left by Cúper.

"I have built an attacking side far superior to any Mallorca team before… Coach Cúper, now just watch what I have achieved over this period!" José declared boldly.

Mallorca's fans welcomed the Valencia match with excitement and high expectations. When Coach Cúper left, they had been heartbroken, but deep down, they knew their club had never really been able to match a team like Valencia—although the city of Valencia might not be much larger than Mallorca, the Valencian Community is one of Spain's most important regions, with far more land and a larger population than the Balearic Islands. In the past decade or so, top players and renowned coaches have come to Valencia, and its allure far surpasses that of Mallorca. While the people of Mallorca may resent Valencia, they are largely powerless to change the situation.

Now, however, they could proudly say to Coach Cúper, "Coach Cúper, though we miss you, now that you're gone we've found an excellent coach! We believe that under his leadership, Mallorca will be in prime form for the rest of the season!"

Buoyed by this optimism, Mallorca fans filled the entire Estadi Son Moix, eagerly awaiting the kickoff as their team prepared to face the "Bat Brigade" of Valencia at home.

That anxious anticipation was akin to a man, having achieved modest success, yearning to see the ex who once left him in pursuit of a better life.

For a club like Mallorca—often viewed as nothing more than a stepping stone, a club whose talent and coaches were used as launch pads for better opportunities—the fate of being a mere feeder had become almost inevitable. But now, the fans sensed that things were changing. They began to believe that their club might finally be nurtured, that there was hope for escaping the perennial role of a "backup."

The lingering question, however, remained: Is José determined to build Mallorca into a powerhouse capable of poaching talent from rivals, or is he, like previous owners, simply out to profit from the club? The fans couldn't be sure. All they could do was choose to believe in José—believe that he genuinely had Mallorca's best interests at heart.

After all, José is one of Mallorca's own. He should be willing to give everything for his hometown club.

In truth, José thought the same. Proving his worth in the face of Coach Cúper wasn't just about personal vindication—it was about showing the Mallorca faithful that he was the one capable of changing the club's destiny.