Chapter 204: The Situation Before the Final Battle

José's outburst at the press conference didn't come without consequences. The Spanish media picked up the story, running headlines about "José's Furious Defense of His Players" and his press conference clash with the Sun journalist. Naturally, they framed the narrative in José's favor. After all, they saw him as an ally—when British media smeared García and Franco, they were also smearing Mallorca. And when they smeared Mallorca, they were indirectly tarnishing La Liga's reputation.

Although José had lashed out at the journalist, he had not made any broad, indiscriminate attacks. He had only targeted false reporting, which kept him in the good graces of the Spanish press. They had no reason to hold a grudge against him and thus stood firmly by his side.

Meanwhile, the Sun journalist who had ventured into the "lion's den" returned to England and wrote an entire column about the incident—because, of course, a journalist can always justify their version of events. He used selective reporting, omitting the context of José's outburst while emphasizing his rudeness, arrogance, and lack of gentlemanly conduct. He even highlighted José's direct translation of the Chinese idiom, "The emperor is not worried, but the eunuch is." The journalist claimed this was a personal insult, implying José had called him a eunuch, and he threatened legal action.

When José heard about this, he laughed so hard he nearly fell over.

"I don't know how much that journalist has read, but I do know that any middle schooler in China would understand this phrase simply means that the person directly involved is calm while others worry unnecessarily. It perfectly describes how Manchester United's reaction to Beckham's injury was completely different from this journalist's hysterics. United had no issue with Mallorca because they understood it was an accident. Yet this journalist chased me down to a post-match press conference after our game against Valencia, demanding an explanation. Honestly, I struggled to find the words to describe such an absurd act.

"Luckily, I recalled a proverb a Chinese immigrant once taught me when I was studying in the U.S. And, my God, it was the perfect fit for the situation! I swear to heaven, I was simply using a well-known saying to describe what was happening—I had no intention of mocking that journalist's reproductive system. Whether or not he has any issues in that regard is none of my business. Unlike him, I don't fabricate stories. That's the fundamental difference between us.

"If he wants to sue me, he's more than welcome to. I'm not afraid of a legal battle."

José's sharp-tongued response in his interview with Diario de Mallorca was published word for word. After that, he ignored the journalist entirely. If the guy really wanted to take legal action, so be it. But a cross-border lawsuit was far from easy, and José suspected the threat was nothing more than bluster.

Still, the incident had an unintended benefit—it strengthened Mallorca's team spirit even further. José was already highly respected within the squad, as many of the players had been promoted from the youth team or personally recruited by him. His unwavering defense of his players only elevated his status.

Despite Motta still being unavailable due to injury, Mallorca entered their next match a week later in top form.

Round 35: Malaga vs. Mallorca

Mallorca faced Malaga away from home. This season, Malaga had performed admirably, currently sitting in ninth place. While they were six points off the European qualification spots and unlikely to secure a place in next season's continental competitions, this was still a significant improvement compared to their previous seasons spent battling relegation.

However, this match turned out to be an easy one for Mallorca. By the final stages of the season, mid-table teams like Malaga—safe from relegation but with no realistic shot at European qualification—were often even easier to play against than relegation-threatened teams fighting for survival.

Ronaldinho opened the scoring for Mallorca, followed by a brace from Eto'o. A 3–0 away victory ended Mallorca's two-match winless streak and kept them at the top of the table.

Unfortunately for Mallorca, Valencia also secured a win. In a hard-fought battle, they edged out Deportivo La Coruña 1–0 thanks to an own goal from midfielder Duscher. Valencia remained hot on Mallorca's heels.

The remaining fixtures now posed a challenge for Mallorca.

Despite the team's strong form, they still had to face Real Madrid in the penultimate round. Given Valencia's momentum, it was likely they would win all three of their remaining matches. If Mallorca dropped even a single point against Madrid, Valencia could overtake them and claim the top spot.

Winning at the Santiago Bernabéu was never an easy task, and Real Madrid, currently sitting on 65 points (just one behind Valencia and two behind Mallorca), had no intention of giving up the title race. Even with their Champions League commitments, Madrid showed no signs of letting up.

This was evident in their latest league match, where, just three days before an away trip to Liverpool for the Champions League semifinals, they fielded a full-strength squad and crushed Tenerife 4–1, pushing their opponents closer to relegation. The only potential weakness Mallorca could exploit was the possibility of fatigue after their European match.

While waiting for their next fixture, Mallorca closely followed Real Madrid's Champions League match against Liverpool.

Madrid put on a dominant performance at Anfield, winning 2–0. Zidane scored a spectacular opener, and McManaman, coming off the bench, sealed the victory against his former club. With one foot in the final, Madrid looked stronger than ever.

As the season neared its conclusion, Madrid's performances only improved. They were now on a four-match winning streak across all competitions, ramping up the pressure on Mallorca.

Could Mallorca really take all three points at the Bernabéu?

José's Pep Talk

"Don't put too much pressure on yourselves," José reassured his players at a crucial moment.

"Yes, Real Madrid are in great form. But remember, they aren't our next opponent—we don't face them for another week. The team we need to beat first is Real Betis. If we fail to win this match, we'll be out of the title race before the final showdown even begins."

The players gradually relaxed, absorbing José's words.

"Besides, who says Valencia will win all their remaining matches? Their strength lies in defense, not attack. They might not win all three games. And we still have a one-point advantage.

"In our head-to-head matches, we have the edge. We drew 1–1 at their stadium and 0–0 at home. If Valencia drop even one point, we only need to win two out of our last three games to secure the title.

"That means our priority is simple—beat Betis and Valladolid. Both games are at home. If we can't even manage that, we don't deserve to be champions. Understood?"

"Understood!" the players responded in unison.

As José watched his squad regain their fighting spirit, he nodded in satisfaction. But deep down, Natal noticed a trace of concern in his eyes.

José had spoken with confidence, but in reality, he had no way of predicting whether Valencia would slip up. A one-point lead was razor-thin. If Mallorca had a two-point cushion, they could afford to play defensively at the Bernabéu. But with only a single-point advantage, they needed a perfect run-in.

José knew they had wasted too many opportunities to build a comfortable lead earlier in the season. If they had just been a little more consistent, this extra point wouldn't even be a concern.

Still, he had to look at the bigger picture. Even if they fell short of the title, this season had been an incredible learning experience for his young squad.

Round 36: Mallorca vs. Real Betis

Three days later, at Son Moix, Mallorca showcased their strong form once again.

Betis struck first through a Joaquin-led counterattack, but Mallorca only grew stronger as the match went on. Luque and Eto'o turned the game around with two quick goals before Rufete added a third after a dazzling run down the wing.

With victory secured, José brought on the returning Motta, who received a thunderous ovation from the home crowd. His return couldn't have come at a better time.

Final score: Mallorca 3–1 Betis.

With two matches left, the title race was tighter than ever—Mallorca (70 points), Valencia (69), and Real Madrid (68) were all still in the fight.

The battle for La Liga glory was about to reach its climax.