Chapter 208: After Seizing Absolute Control

For the next few days, José was busy bringing in valuation agencies to assess Mallorca's current assets. The final evaluation determined that the club was worth $78 million. This figure was reasonable, considering that Mallorca did not own its own stadium—San Moix belonged to the local council. The club's assets consisted mainly of its expansive training base, various facilities, office buildings, current funds, and player contracts. However, player valuations fluctuated greatly and could only be roughly estimated. Real estate could be appraised with certainty, but how could human beings be measured in value? In a typical corporate asset evaluation, employees wouldn't be counted as part of the company's worth. But footballers were different; their transfers required actual funds to complete.

Grande had no objections to the evaluation. He was well aware that the combined worth of Mallorca's players alone likely exceeded that amount. However, valuation agencies could only use a player's original transfer fee as a reference. Even if José managed to sell Ronaldinho, Eto'o, and Luque for a combined $100 million tomorrow, their estimated valuation based on transfer records wouldn't exceed $20 million.

For his 30% stake, Grande cashed out for $23.4 million. José wasted no time—after signing the agreement, the money was immediately transferred to Grande's account. Of course, after taxes and fees, Grande didn't pocket the full amount, but that was no longer José's concern.

When Mallorca officially announced that the club had become José's private property, it sent ripples through Spanish football. No other club in Spain was entirely controlled by a single individual. Even Jesús Gil only owned 89% of Atlético Madrid. Clubs like Valencia had three major shareholders who took turns acting as president. As for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, and Osasuna, they were still member-owned clubs where the president was merely an elected manager.

Historically, all Spanish clubs operated under a membership system. However, in the early 1990s, facing economic crises and massive debts, most clubs underwent restructuring under government guidance. Only the four clubs mentioned above remained member-owned due to their strong financial standing, while the rest transitioned into shareholder-controlled entities. The management structures varied—some presidents were elected, while others were hired—resembling the Bundesliga model rather than the oligarchy-dominated leagues of Serie A and the Premier League.

So, when Mallorca announced that second-largest shareholder Grande had sold all his shares to majority shareholder José Alemany, it created an uproar in Spanish football. Many media outlets speculated on whether La Liga was about to follow the path of Serie A and the Premier League, becoming dominated by wealthy club owners.

Legally speaking, José's move was perfectly legitimate. He paid for the shares and took control. Mallorca wasn't a publicly traded club, and its governance structure remained unchanged—only fewer shareholders remained. José had even prepared a backup plan in case the Spanish FA decided to make trouble for him. If they claimed that a single individual couldn't fully own a club, he could simply transfer a portion of his shares to his father. Legally, they were two separate financial entities. With two people holding shares, there would be no issue.

Surprisingly, the Spanish FA never intervened. Perhaps it was because the World Cup was just around the corner, and all their attention was focused on the national team. They had neither the time nor the justification to meddle in Mallorca's affairs. Their tacit approval was a relief to José.

The timing had worked out well. With the Spanish FA consumed by World Cup matters, they had no bandwidth to scrutinize Mallorca. By the time the tournament ended, too much time would have passed for them to suddenly raise objections.

Thus, José comfortably prepared for the World Cup while planning for the upcoming season. He knew that after two consecutive strong campaigns, Mallorca wouldn't have a peaceful summer. Several key players would undoubtedly attract attention from European giants. Deciding whom to sell and whom to keep required careful consideration.

In José's philosophy, there were no untouchables. Even Motta and Luque, his most trusted players, were not exempt. While he wouldn't actively seek to sell them, if a big club came knocking with the right offer and they wished to leave, José wouldn't stand in their way.

That said, he wouldn't make his stance public. All of Mallorca's key players were still under long-term contracts. Once the season ended, José began contacting their agents for renewal negotiations. Any club hoping to poach Mallorca's stars would have to pay a hefty price.

Among the standout players from last season, both Campano and Capdevila renewed their contracts without hesitation. Campano had shared playing time with Jorge as a starting right-back, with their differing styles earning them nearly equal minutes. Though Campano wasn't the most talented, his reliability made him valuable. Until a better attacking full-back emerged, his consistency remained crucial to the team.

Capdevila, on the other hand, was more attack-oriented. When Jorge was on the field, they took turns pushing forward. When Campano played at right-back, most of the attacking focus shifted to the left.

Jorge had only one year left on his contract, and José had no plans to renew it. His wages were high, and while he was still useful, the cost-benefit ratio was questionable. His agent had already started reaching out to mid-table La Liga and Premier League clubs, hoping to secure a good retirement contract.

Among the veterans, both Olaizola and Soler had two years left on their deals. After discussions, they agreed to see out their contracts. Both were Mallorca academy products. Although their playing time had decreased with age, José had no intention of pushing them out. They remained competent backups and were already preparing for coaching careers. Currently, they were taking youth coaching courses and were expected to take on roles with the academy and reserve team in the near future.

Ngonga officially retired and joined Mallorca's coaching staff. In fact, he had been considering retirement the previous season and barely featured this year. His last league appearance had essentially been his farewell match. Transitioning into an assistant coaching role was a natural step.

Nino was now firmly a backup, while Gamarra had two years left on his contract. José considered selling Gamarra to free up a non-EU roster spot. Starting next season, La Liga clubs could only register four non-EU players, unlike before when they could have unlimited non-EU players but were restricted to four in the matchday squad.

With non-EU spots now more valuable, José wasn't in a rush to offload Gamarra. He planned to wait until after the World Cup. Gamarra was still a key player for Paraguay, and a strong tournament could increase his market value. Experienced defenders like him were always in demand among mid-table clubs.

With Nino unreliable and Gamarra potentially leaving, Mallorca's center-back options were thinning. Besides promoting Matías from the reserve team, José planned to sign a quality center-back to ensure adequate depth for rotation.

In midfield, Kaladze had been a key player for over a year. His versatility and tenacity had caught the attention of several clubs. AC Milan, which had shown interest in him before, was now serious about acquiring him, even willing to use one of their precious non-EU slots on him.

José didn't want to let Kaladze go. The Georgian could play as a left midfielder, defensive midfielder, left-back, or center-back. Such a well-rounded and talented player was invaluable to any team. But Milan's interest was understandable—their aging defense needed reinforcements. Maldini and Costacurta were nearing the end of their careers, and their recent signing, Danish center-back Laursen, had been underwhelming. Although Maldini preferred playing centrally, Milan's left side had become a weak point. Signing a versatile player like Kaladze made sense.

However, Milan had been burned before. Recent signings from La Liga—José Mari, Pablo García, and Alavés duo Contra and Moreno—had all struggled in Serie A. This made Milan hesitant about pursuing Kaladze.

At this point, Galliani personally vouched for Kaladze to Berlusconi. He argued that Kaladze was different from the others—he hadn't come up through La Liga but had instead adapted to Spanish football after moving from Dynamo Kyiv. His Champions League performances had also been solid. Shevchenko, who had played with Kaladze in Kyiv, strongly recommended him as well. Given Shevchenko's status as Milan's star striker, even Berlusconi had to take his opinion seriously.

Unlike others, Kaladze wouldn't be playing in the World Cup. This meant Milan didn't have to wait. With the existing rapport between the two clubs following Pablo García's transfer, Galliani flew directly to Mallorca to negotiate.

Meanwhile, the rest of Mallorca's midfield had mostly renewed their contracts. The only surprises were Ronaldinho and Rufete, who had postponed talks until after the World Cup, and Novo, who outright rejected a renewal, making it clear he no longer wanted to sit on the bench.