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.