Chapter 15: Every Match is a Final

"Seems like the Mallorca coach I saw in the league is not the same person..." Eto'o thought to himself.

"The coach who faced Real Madrid before has resigned, and now I'm the acting head coach," José said, noticing Eto'o's confusion and smiling as he spoke.

Eto'o nodded knowingly. This made sense. Coaching a professional club could be as uncertain as the weather...

"I think you already know why I'm here," José continued, straightforward as always. With young players like Eto'o, there was no need for beating around the bush.

Eto'o nodded. "Yes, Mr. José. I've already heard from Mr. Piri that Mallorca wants to loan me for half the season."

José chuckled. It seemed that Piri had long been planning to approve the loan, but had been so indirect about it—though it made sense. Piri was the one who personally brought Eto'o to Madrid five years ago. As an African himself, Piri naturally took a special interest in this fellow countryman. Eto'o had potential, and Piri wanted to make sure the loan was in his best interest. After all, Mallorca could only offer Eto'o playing time. If he couldn't even make the starting lineup there, staying at Real Madrid would be better, training alongside the stars.

José's attitude, however, proved that Mallorca truly needed Eto'o. This reassured Piri, who had no more worries about the loan—Mallorca would have Eto'o for almost nothing, and Real Madrid had little to lose. Even if Eto'o didn't thrive at Mallorca, it would still be beneficial for them in the long run.

"So here's the situation... I'm sure you know about Mallorca's predicament... our current league ranking isn't great. Despite winning against Rayo Vallecano yesterday, our first win in eight matches, it's not enough. We need more points to stay up. To get those points, we need more wins. To get wins, we need more goals... We already have Diego Tristan, but we lack a complementary striker. I think you're the one who can bring us the goals and victories we need. At Mallorca, you'll get what you need—real playing time in La Liga, not Segunda. We're lacking in forward options right now. If you keep up your form and work hard, you'll be our starting forward. So, I ask you: Will you join us for the rest of the season?"

José finished his pitch and waited for Eto'o's response.

He knew Eto'o would agree. African players often had incredible talent, but few made it to the top. Even those who were famous as teenagers often struggled to maintain their form. Many African players had average intelligence and emotional intelligence, which hindered their development. However, some—like George Weah, Abedi Pele, Didier Drogba... and Samuel Eto'o—had the brains and skill to go far.

Eto'o wasn't a dumb player. On the contrary, he was quite intelligent, which was why he would achieve greatness. Joining Mallorca would be a great opportunity for him. Unlike other young players, he wasn't driven by vanity and would choose the best path for his growth.

Eto'o's decision came quicker than José expected. After a moment of thought, Eto'o nodded. "Alright, Mr. José, I agree to the loan."

José smiled and extended his hand. "Congratulations, Samuel. You've made the right decision."

With Real Madrid's and Eto'o's agreements in place, there was nothing to stop the loan. The contract was signed quickly—three copies: one for Real Madrid, one for Mallorca, and one filed with the Spanish Football Federation. From that moment, Eto'o was officially a Mallorca player.

"Do you need to pack anything? I can wait a day, then we'll head to Mallorca together," José offered, showing his respect.

Eto'o shook his head. "No, Mr. José. I don't have anything to pack. I'm ready to go to Mallorca now."

José nodded approvingly. Eto'o was eager to get started, excited to play actual matches. He had only made a few substitute appearances for Real Madrid, and he was hungry for more.

While Eto'o didn't stand out immediately, having struggled even at Real Madrid's B team, he was still a young talent. His last few seasons had been a grind—28 appearances with just three goals in Segunda, a season loaned to Espanyol with no game time, and barely getting any attention during the 1998 World Cup.

José knew Eto'o wouldn't be an instant starter, but he was confident that once he became familiar with his teammates, Eto'o would be ready for the starting lineup. Mallorca was the perfect place for him—at least for now.

Though Eto'o hadn't played much recently, training with Real Madrid's first team meant his body was still in top shape. José quickly saw this during training.

On January 26th, Mallorca officially announced the loan of Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o from Real Madrid. Despite having lived in Spain for five years, Eto'o had never sought Spanish citizenship, since he had no Spanish ancestry and didn't seem interested in the nationality.

Fortunately, Mallorca had no other non-EU players. Several of their Argentine players held Spanish citizenship, and with no foreign players on their roster, adding Eto'o wouldn't affect the club's limit.

For Mallorca, loaning a player from Real Madrid was nothing unusual. Many players in La Liga, even in Segunda, came from Real Madrid's youth ranks. It was well-known that Real Madrid's youth academy had a huge impact on the entire league, even as the club focused on buying foreign superstars.

As for Mallorca, their focus was on attacking, not defending. Though they had scored three goals in their last match, their overall offensive play still left much to be desired.

Tristan, however, wasn't worried. His position was untouchable. Other forwards like Ginteros and Carlos, with disappointing performances, didn't have much room to complain.

Eto'o joined training immediately after his announcement. His speed shocked everyone at Mallorca—he could cover 100 meters in under 11 seconds, a terrifying number for a striker. His strength and ability to hold off defenders like Nino also impressed the team.

"Real Madrid's players really are something... even their substitutes are exceptional," many of the Mallorca players thought.

Though Mallorca didn't have many star players, José was determined to lead this group of misfits to survival and success in La Liga.

Before their next match, José addressed the team. "Our last win was important, but this next match is even more crucial. Numancia is one of our direct competitors. They have 27 points, 13 more than us. If we don't win, even a draw will leave us 13 points behind. We can't afford to draw, and we can't afford to lose. This next match, no matter the venue, is a must-win. We've yet to win away this season, but last match we broke our winless streak. Let's break the away winless streak next. From here on out, every match is a final!"