When the final round of La Liga concluded on June 18, all the suspense of this season's campaign was fully revealed!
Real Madrid dominated the league, finishing with 24 wins, 8 draws, and 6 losses, amassing 80 points to secure the title with a commanding lead. They won the most games, lost the fewest, scored the most goals, conceded the least, and had the highest goal difference—leaving no doubt that they were the deserving champions of the season.
In a surprising turn, Mallorca finished as runners-up. Their final record of 22 wins, 9 draws, and 7 losses earned them 75 points, giving them a win rate second only to Real Madrid and on par with Deportivo La Coruña. However, Deportivo suffered two more defeats than Mallorca, leaving them two points behind in third place. Meanwhile, Barcelona relied on a stunning hat-trick from Rivaldo in the final round to secure a dramatic 3-2 away victory over Valencia. This allowed them to match Valencia's points total and claim fourth place due to their superior head-to-head record. Unfortunately for Valencia, despite being Champions League finalists for two consecutive years, they were relegated to the UEFA Cup for the next season.
In the relegation battle, Oviedo became the third team to drop to the second division, while Osasuna, one of La Liga's four remaining membership-based clubs, managed to survive. They secured their place by defeating Real Sociedad, successfully escaping the drop despite spending 25 of the 38 rounds in the relegation zone. With Oviedo's relegation, the number of La Liga teams with "Real" in their name decreased once more.
Raúl claimed the Pichichi Trophy with 25 goals, narrowly beating Rivaldo, who finished second with 23. Moreno came third with 22 goals, while Tristán ranked fourth with 19. Mallorca's top scorer was Samuel Eto'o with 11 goals, followed by Luque with 9. Impressively, Mallorca had 11 different players scoring in the league, with Ibagaza netting 10—one more than Luque. Meanwhile, Ronaldinho contributed 5 goals, forming a key part of the team's attacking force alongside Ibagaza, Eto'o, and Luque.
Despite the league's conclusion, four teams still had unfinished business—the Copa del Rey semifinalists. They would compete in the semifinals on June 21 and 24, with the final scheduled for June 30. The condensed schedule right after the league season ended was both amusing and frustrating.
This was one of the reasons José found the Spanish FA's scheduling rigid. The league had been spaced out, with just one game per week, yet now the cup matches were crammed together. A more balanced schedule, with a few midweek league fixtures, could have prevented this rush and shown more respect for the Copa del Rey.
José vaguely remembered that, at some point, the Copa del Rey final was moved to immediately after the league season ended. However, he wasn't sure when that change happened—after all, most Chinese fans didn't pay much attention to Copa del Rey scheduling.
This was exactly why he chose to rest key players in the final league match. Since they had already made it to the semifinals, why not go all in and try to win the cup?
Besides, the semifinal lineup wasn't exactly packed with powerhouses. The only real challenge was Barcelona in the semis. In the other bracket, neither Zaragoza nor Atlético Madrid seemed particularly daunting. As for Barcelona…
Just three days earlier, they had secured Champions League qualification in dramatic fashion, beating Valencia 3-2 at the Camp Nou thanks to Rivaldo's masterclass. He scored a stunning left-footed free kick from 25 meters, a powerful strike from the edge of the box, and, in stoppage time, a breathtaking overhead kick from outside the penalty area—single-handedly dragging Barcelona into the Champions League while shattering Valencia's hopes.
That performance solidified Rivaldo's status as a global superstar, but for Barcelona, it came at a great cost.
In a must-win match, they had expended enormous physical energy. Even Rivaldo looked exhausted when fans lifted him after the match. Such a grueling game couldn't be recovered from in just three days—especially with their first-leg semifinal being away at Mallorca.
As for Mallorca? They had also played three days earlier, but their match was far less intense. Five key players were rested for over a week, and they had back-to-back home games, avoiding any travel fatigue.
In reality, the result of this semifinal was decided before the match even began.
José went all-in, fielding his strongest attacking lineup—Ronaldinho and Ibagaza in midfield, Eto'o and Luque up front, with Capdevila and George providing width from the fullback positions. They relentlessly pressed a weary Barcelona side, who struggled to cope. Having already beaten Barcelona once and drawn once in the league, Mallorca held a psychological advantage and played with high morale, completely overwhelming their opponents.
Barcelona initially maintained their momentum from the Valencia game, taking an early lead in the 6th minute. Portuguese winger Simão finished off a beautiful attacking move, converting a cross from Dutch international Zenden. However, from that moment on, Mallorca dominated.
After relentless pressure throughout the first half, Mallorca finally broke through in stoppage time. Luque won a free kick just outside the box. Ronaldinho faked a shot but instead rolled the ball sideways to Eto'o, who teed up the onrushing Kaladze. The Georgian defender smashed a rocket into the top corner, leaving Barcelona's goalkeeper Dutruel helpless.
With the score level at halftime, Mallorca's superior stamina became even more evident in the second half. Barcelona, exhausted, struggled to mount any meaningful attacks and were pinned back in their own half.
Had Barcelona been a defensively solid team, they might have been able to grind out a result. After all, some teams, like last season's Mallorca, could withstand intense pressure and still scrape out wins.
But Barcelona wasn't built for that. When a team that relies on attacking football is completely suppressed, their downfall becomes inevitable.
Mallorca wasted no time. Just seven minutes into the second half, Ibagaza delivered a perfect cross after a dazzling wing play. With both strikers drawing defenders away, Ronaldinho arrived unmarked at the far post, leaping acrobatically to volley the ball home. Mallorca had taken the lead!
Even at 2-1, Mallorca didn't let up. They knew this scoreline was still risky.
In the 74th minute, Barcelona's crumbling defense conceded again. Substitute Delgado, replacing Luque, slotted home from close range after being set up by Eto'o, making it 3-1. The game was effectively over.
Barcelona had a late chance to pull one back when Kluivert was brought down in the box by Niño, winning a penalty. But Rivaldo, perhaps exhausted or simply demoralized, hit a weak effort that was easily saved by Mallorca's keeper Franco.
Franco's heroics ensured that Mallorca took a commanding two-goal lead into the second leg.
With a resounding 3-1 home victory, Mallorca had one foot in the final.
In their last home game of the season, José maintained his perfect home record as Mallorca's head coach!
"La Liga may be over, but Mallorca's momentum has not faded. Their dominant 3-1 victory over Barcelona showcased their attacking prowess. Given their current form, winning the club's first-ever national trophy is no longer just a dream!"
Mallorca had never won La Liga or the Copa del Rey before. Even in the second division, they had never been champions, always finishing second or third when earning promotion. Their only previous national title was the Spanish Super Cup, which wasn't considered a major trophy. Winning the Copa del Rey would fill a glaring gap in the club's history.
José was brimming with confidence. He was convinced that a fatigued Barcelona wouldn't be able to stop Mallorca's march to glory.
This wasn't blind optimism—Mallorca was peaking at the right time, while Barcelona was in shambles after a disastrous season. Their players had already checked out, eager for the summer break to forget their miserable campaign.
Even Rivaldo seemed to have given up on the Copa del Rey, leaving early for Brazil's World Cup qualifiers. His decision to stay for the first leg had only resulted in a demoralizing defeat.
Without Rivaldo, Barcelona's fightback hopes took an immediate hit. Just one minute into the second leg at Camp Nou, Gabi fouled Luque. Ronaldinho quickly took the free kick, catching Barcelona's defense off guard. Ibagaza pounced between Sergi and Kluivert, stabbing the ball into the net—Mallorca had erased Barcelona's away-goal advantage!
Although Kluivert equalized three minutes later, it wasn't enough.
Both teams wasted chances—Ronaldinho's free kick grazed the crossbar, Eto'o's shot hit the side netting, and Guardiola, in his final game for Barcelona, saw his free kick cannon off the post.
As the final whistle blew, the match ended 1-1, sealing a 4-2 aggregate victory for Mallorca.
In front of a stunned Camp Nou crowd, Mallorca celebrated reaching the Copa del Rey final, while Barcelona fans booed their own players—except for Guardiola, who received warm applause. The sight of thousands of white handkerchiefs waving in protest marked the end of a miserable season for Barça.
José, meanwhile, was ecstatic.
There was no better feeling than making history with a club that had nothing.
He was already the first Mallorca coach to win a European trophy, the first to lead them to a La Liga runner-up finish, and now, he was on the verge of becoming the first to lift the Copa del Rey.
The feeling of making history?
It was absolutely incredible!