Chapter 154: Building the Foundation, One Match at a Time

The coaches gathered and exchanged a few words. In La Liga, they were fierce competitors, but in the Champions League, they wouldn't face each other early on. Instead, they had a shared goal—competing against teams from other leagues. This made their conversation more relaxed, with no need for unnecessary reservations.

"We won't be drawn into the same group as Real Madrid or Barcelona due to the same-nation rule, but the other seeded teams are all strong. Every opponent is tough," said Vicente del Bosque.

"But whether the group is difficult or not really depends on which team comes from the third pot," José replied with a smile. "As long as we avoid Schalke, Leverkusen, PSV, and Feyenoord, it won't be a group of death."

"Exactly," Javier Irureta nodded in agreement. "And from the fourth pot, Celtic and Fenerbahçe won't be easy either."

"It all depends on what UEFA has in mind… We may be newcomers to the Champions League, but we're not without history. If you ask me, we'll probably end up in a group with that guy's team…"

José tilted his chin slightly, prompting Del Bosque and Irureta to follow his gaze. A tall, lanky Frenchman came into view.

"You mean Arsenal?" Del Bosque asked, then quickly realized. "Oh, right. Mallorca doesn't have many past grudges with other teams, except for that UEFA Cup final a year ago when you beat Arsenal. Knowing UEFA, they might just put you in the same group."

"Or Lazio," Irureta added. "Two years ago, Mallorca lost to them in the Cup Winners' Cup final."

"Both are possibilities." José shrugged.

The conversation continued, but soon, more and more people filled the hall. The Champions League draw ceremony was officially about to begin.

UEFA had always been known for making the draw dramatic. They first drew the first-seeded teams, then jumped to the third-seeded teams—teasing potential "groups of death"—before revealing the second-seeded teams.

As the defending champions, Bayern Munich were drawn first and placed in Group H.

Real Madrid were assigned to Group A.Barcelona went to Group F.

After all the first-seeded teams were drawn, the third-seeded teams followed.

Immediately, some potential groups of death emerged:

Group F: Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen

Group C: Arsenal and Schalke 04

Group H: Bayern Munich and Feyenoord

Group D: Lazio and PSV

Next up was the draw for the second-seeded teams.

The weakest of the second-seeded teams, Spartak Moscow, was drawn into Bayern's group, making Group H less threatening. Then came Lyon, who joined Barcelona and Leverkusen in Group F. José smirked—this was definitely a group of death.

But Mallorca wasn't out of the woods yet. Their fate was still undecided.

Johan Cruyff, serving as the draw's special guest, reached into the glass bowl, pulled out a slip of paper, glanced at it, and smiled.

"RCD Mallorca—Group C."

Arsenal. Schalke 04.

José clicked his tongue. These guys were predictable.

The draw left him somewhat frustrated. As he had said, a tough group wasn't about which top-seeded team you faced—this wasn't the World Cup, where weaker hosts could sometimes be seeded. In the Champions League, all seeded teams were elite clubs. What really determined a group of death was the strength of the third and fourth-seeded teams. Schalke 04 was no joke—they had pushed Bayern to the brink last season. And now, Arsenal, approaching their peak, made things even tougher for Mallorca.

If the fourth-seeded team turned out to be Fenerbahçe or Celtic, this group's difficulty level would be terrifying.

Once the draw concluded, Del Bosque and Irureta weren't looking too pleased.

Real Madrid had been placed in a group with Roma, the reigning Serie A champions, along with Lokomotiv Moscow and Anderlecht. Deportivo La Coruña landed in a group with Manchester United, alongside Lille and Olympiacos. Barcelona had it even worse—Lyon, Leverkusen, and Fenerbahçe. No easy opponents in sight.

Compared to them, Mallorca's group—Arsenal, Schalke 04, and Greek champions Panathinaikos—was relatively manageable.

After the draw, the media was abuzz with discussions about the groups of death, with most attention focused on Real Madrid and Barcelona's groups. Meanwhile, German media celebrated the draw, believing that all four Bundesliga teams had landed decent groups. They especially praised Bayern's "dream draw." Borussia Dortmund had Liverpool but also faced a weakened Dynamo Kyiv and Portuguese side Boavista, making their path to the knockout stage realistic. Leverkusen's draw was a bit tougher, sharing a group with Barcelona, Lyon, and Fenerbahçe.

As for Schalke 04, their general manager, Rudi Assauer, was ecstatic, declaring, "Our fans have waited three years for this opportunity! Arsenal are favorites, but Mallorca and Panathinaikos are not stronger than us. We'll fight for that second qualification spot!"

Germany's Bild newspaper was equally optimistic, estimating Schalke's chances of advancing at 70%, ranking them just behind Bayern but ahead of Dortmund and Leverkusen.

José put down the newspaper and scoffed.

"These guys really think they've got us figured out."

Germany's confidence was understandable. The Bundesliga was ranked as Europe's third-best league, and with the most teams participating in this season's Champions League, they were eager to solidify their standing and fend off the rising Premier League, which was threatening to claim a fourth Champions League spot. For years, Bayern had carried the Bundesliga's reputation almost single-handedly, reaching a final, a semifinal, and winning a title in the past three seasons. Now, Germany hoped their other clubs could step up.

But to José, this was nothing but a challenge to Mallorca—a blatant sign of disrespect. And he intended to use the Champions League to prove them wrong.

Before that, however, Mallorca had a more immediate task: the opening round of La Liga, a home match against Las Palmas, who had finished 11th last season.

Mallorca fans were buzzing with excitement. To them, the Spanish Super Cup had been just an appetizer—La Liga was the main course, while the Champions League was the grand feast.

For José, this match was a must-win. Beating Las Palmas would set the tone for the season and help his squad sharpen up before the Champions League began.

Las Palmas had shown flashes of brilliance last season, even challenging Mallorca for a European spot at one point. But as the season progressed, they fell off, ultimately settling for mid-table mediocrity.

Their biggest issue? Inconsistency. They could beat Deportivo La Coruña one week and get thrashed 5-1 by Villarreal the next. Their attack was decent, but their defense was full of holes. Last season, they suffered heavy defeats against Valencia (5-1), Barcelona (4-1), and Real Madrid (5-1). Even Deportivo, whom they had beaten at home, had crushed them 4-0 in the reverse fixture. When they were in form, they could play brilliant football; when they weren't, they got steamrolled.

José knew exactly how to handle such a team. But his own squad wasn't without flaws. The backline, in particular, was still a work in progress. Daniel Van Buyten was undoubtedly an upgrade over Niňo, but he was still adjusting to his new teammates. This was painfully evident in the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid, where Raul exploited defensive lapses to score twice. If not for Nadal's timely covering, the scoreline could have been even worse.

These growing pains were necessary. If Mallorca wanted to reach the next level, they had to endure setbacks.

Fortunately, the team's core was intact. They only needed to refine a few positions, a manageable process. José was determined to build a club known for smart management—not one that sold its spine just for profit. Short-term money at the cost of long-term success was a fool's trade.

A well-run club could sell players and remain competitive. As long as replacements performed well and results didn't suffer, they wouldn't be seen as lacking ambition. Instead, Mallorca would become a prime destination for rising stars—a club where talent could flourish and grow into world-class players.

Such a project wouldn't happen overnight. It had to be built, one victory at a time.

That was José's ambition. And neither Las Palmas nor Schalke 04 would stand in his way.

The foundation of a great club would be laid, step by step.