Chapter 6: The New Boss’s First Big Move
All the players began their training, and José started closely observing their progress.
José's three years of coaching courses hadn't gone to waste. He earned his amateur coaching certificate in just one year, and then spent time studying in Italy and Germany. Even though the glory of the "Mini World Cup" had faded, Italian coaches still maintained a higher average level than those from other countries. While Italian coaches might lack the ability to plan long-term for a club due to the characteristics of their domestic clubs, they remained ahead in tactical arrangements, training effectiveness, and targeted strategies.
The training sessions Cooper arranged were fine; José just planned to add a few extra things in the future. For now, continuing with Cooper's training wouldn't pose any problems.
At Mallorca's first team, José still had some influence—at least Ngonga was familiar with him, and Tristan was someone he had brought up from the youth team. With this "homegrown" center forward, José now had someone to rely on for the upcoming matches.
Anything else was irrelevant; the only way to build his prestige in the locker room was by winning the next match.
The next opponent was Rayo Vallecano.
This team, promoted this season, seemed like an ideal opportunity for José to make a mark—after all, they were newcomers. But anyone who had watched Rayo Vallecano's impressive performances this season would have a different perspective. This rookie team started the season on fire, ranking first for several rounds. Though their recent performance had dipped, they still sat in third place, ahead of Real Madrid and Valencia. They were not to be underestimated.
"A typical small-to-mid-tier team strategy—relentless pressing and a well-coordinated team effort... They don't have a standout goal scorer, but their center forward, Canaval, plays a key tactical role... Defensively fierce, with great team coordination, but they're not invincible. Now that we're in the second half of the season, their fitness should start to wane. Midfield will be key."
José thought to himself as he watched the latest Rayo Vallecano game footage.