Chapter 221: Stadium Plans

In the days that followed, José worried that more of his key players might get poached. Three starters had already left, and Kaka was likely to become a starter in the new season. That meant nearly a third of the starting lineup would have to be replaced—pushing José to his limit. If any more players left, he might have no choice but to treat the first few months of the season as a rebuilding period, focusing on integrating new players and building chemistry, only to push for results in the latter half of the season.

Fortunately, his concerns eased as time passed. Nearly all of last season's key players renewed their contracts, including Ronaldinho, Eto'o, Rufete, Capdevila, and Van Buyten. Their salaries had all increased significantly compared to last season, but in return, their release clauses also rose sharply, making it much harder for other clubs to poach them.

With Torres, Albertini, Alonso, and Kaka all earning decent wages as well, Mallorca's salary expenses had jumped from 30 million last season to nearly 50 million. However, given that Mallorca was now a title-winning team competing in the Champions League, this wage bill wasn't excessive. At the very least, the club's revenue could still balance its expenses.

Once all the key players had renewed their contracts, José officially announced that Mallorca's summer transfer window was closed. There would be no more player sales or signings for the first team.

At the same time, Mallorca's preseason training camp began. With the exception of those who had participated in the World Cup—Kaka, Ronaldinho, Belletti, Rufete, Capdevila, Nadal, Van Buyten, Pablo García, Eto'o, and Franco—all other players had already reported for training. The World Cup players would join a week later.

Among the new signings, only the two Brazilian internationals had yet to arrive. Meanwhile, Senna, Albertini, Alonso, Torres, and Campo had all reported immediately, beginning their careers at this rising club.

Mallorca's summer spending was significant:

Senna: $1 million

Campo: $500,000

Torres: $4 million

Albertini (loan fee): $1 million

Alonso: $10 million

50% of Eto'o's rights: $8 million

Belletti: $3 million

Kaka: $8 million

With seven new players purchased and additional spending on Eto'o, Mallorca's total summer outlay reached $35.5 million—a club record for a single transfer window!

However, despite the heavy spending, Mallorca still managed to turn a profit in the transfer market:

Kaladze: $19 million

George: $1 million

Luque: $20 million

Motta: $25 million

Gamarra: $3 million

Torres' transfer also included Novo and Klasnić as trade pieces

These deals brought in a total of $68 million, meaning Mallorca had a net profit of $32.5 million from transfers alone!

For context, the club's total profit from the previous season had only been $26 million!

José had spent $23.4 million to acquire full ownership of Mallorca earlier in the summer. After that, he still had $2.6 million left in club funds. Now, with the transfer market surplus, he had around $35 million in liquid assets. While this wasn't quite enough to build a stadium outright, it was more than enough for the initial investment and construction phases.

The Stadium Project

Mallorca had already secured land near the Ros Mountains—or rather, José had personally acquired it. This plot of land was now his private property, though under an agreement with the Balearic Regional Council, the 10,000-square-meter site could only be used for stadium and related facilities. Residential or commercial real estate development was strictly prohibited. Additionally, Mallorca had only five years to begin construction—if the project didn't break ground within that period, the land would be reclaimed unconditionally by the council.

José wasn't worried about the timeline. He had no intention of waiting for the land to appreciate in value—he wanted to start as soon as possible. Just a day after the team regrouped, Mallorca officially announced its plans to build a new stadium.

The news sent shockwaves through Spain.

Mallorca had already been one of the most talked-about clubs in the transfer market, making major signings while La Liga's other giants had more reserved approaches—Real Madrid was chasing Ronaldo, Barcelona was focused on rebuilding, Valencia made only minor moves, and Deportivo's biggest acquisition was Luque. Amid all this, Mallorca had arguably been the most active club in La Liga. Now, this stadium announcement elevated their reputation even further.

A club valued at just over $70 million had decided to build its own stadium!

Many La Liga teams already owned their stadiums—such as the famous Camp Nou, Bernabéu, Mestalla, and Riazor. However, these venues had been gradually expanded over decades. Mestalla and Riazor, for example, had started with just a few hundred seats reserved for VIP guests, while most fans stood on terraces. Over time, these grounds were developed into proper stadiums. Modern stadium construction, however, required enormous investment, leading many clubs to simply lease municipal stadiums.

Now, José wasn't just coaching the team—he was also funding an entire stadium project!

Within a day, the news spread across Mallorca and all of Spain. Many people started idolizing José—not only was he a successful coach, but he also fully owned the club and was willing to invest his own money into a brand-new stadium. This wasn't something just any manager could do.

That said, while the project was announced, actual construction wouldn't begin immediately. The first phase involved laying the foundation, and for this, Alemany had a trusted connection. He recommended a reputable Spanish construction firm that had previously worked on his hotel, which was now nearly completed and awaiting interior design.

José had already commissioned several renowned European architects to design the stadium's exterior. The plan featured a red-themed color scheme and a standard oval roof. He didn't want to overcomplicate the design—though he briefly considered incorporating two Chinese-style dragons wrapping around the stadium, he ultimately decided against it. Mallorca didn't have a strong mythical or historical identity to build upon. The only legendary figure locals still revered was King James I, who had reclaimed the island from Islamic rule. However, given the political sensitivities and his lack of connection to football, José dropped the idea.

In the end, he believed a stadium's true character came from the team that played there. The most famous stadiums in the world weren't necessarily the most unique in design—they became legendary because of the teams that called them home. Comfort, atmosphere, and efficient logistics were far more important than extravagant decorations.

The only real challenge José faced now was finding someone to oversee the entire project. Managing the club was already a full-time job for him. Alemany, meanwhile, had to juggle both the club and his hotel business. The stadium project required a sharp, capable individual to keep everything on track.

That's when Alemany recommended someone—Reimer Mohn, the German general manager of his hotel.

Mohn had a remarkable backstory. Alemany had met him at a job fair, where he appeared down on his luck—unkempt, undernourished, and wearing worn-out but neatly arranged clothes. Despite competing against well-dressed candidates, Mohn held himself with quiet confidence. Intrigued, Alemany spoke with him and, impressed by his professionalism, hired him as a hotel waiter.

From there, Mohn quickly proved his worth. His diligence, organizational skills, and meticulous nature saw him rise through the ranks—first as a team leader, then lobby manager, then head of housekeeping, and eventually, general manager. Alemany later discovered that Mohn had an impressive academic background and could have held an executive position in a major company, but Mohn never discussed what had led to his downfall.

Mohn had also built a comfortable life in Mallorca, managing his finances prudently despite initially earning very little. Over time, he had accumulated considerable assets and was now a middle-class homeowner in the city.

José knew Mohn well but had never considered poaching him from his father's business. Now that Alemany himself suggested it, José realized that Mohn was indeed the perfect candidate—financially astute, highly organized, and deeply trusted by the family.

With Mohn on board, the stadium project was finally ready to move forward.