Chapter 42: The Survival Tactics of Small Teams
The entire Galatasaray team arrived in Mallorca with a sense of tragic resolve.
Initially, when the draw had matched them against Mallorca, Galatasaray thought of it as a relatively easy opponent. However, after being defeated 3-0 at home, they were now cornered, with no way out!
However, in such knockout matches, even a glimmer of hope means no one gives up. Moreover, Galatasaray had been performing excellently in the domestic league this season, already reaching the cup finals and leading the league by a significant margin, ahead of their old rivals Fenerbahce and Besiktas. They could afford to focus all their energy on the UEFA Cup!
Since Terim took over Galatasaray four years ago, the team had won the league title after a two-year gap. In the first three seasons, they secured the league title three times in a row, achieving a feat that only Trabzonspor, Besiktas, and Galatasaray itself had previously done. This season, they were aiming for an unprecedented four consecutive titles in Turkish football. Under these circumstances, merely being the domestic champion was not enough to satisfy Galatasaray's fans. Only success on the European stage could satisfy their increasingly inflated egos!
So, the players approached this match with the mindset of burning their boats as they set foot on the island of Mallorca.
However, the advantages of timing, location, and crowd support were all in Mallorca's favor.
Though Mallorca did not resort to any off-field tricks to undermine Galatasaray—there was no wild celebration near their hotel, nor any trouble during their adaptation training—the atmosphere at the Son Moix Stadium, with over 20,000 Mallorca fans roaring, would put enormous pressure on the Galatasaray players.
One thousand of Mallorca's most loyal fans who had returned from Turkey shared stories of the difficulties they faced there, the insults and oppression they endured. All the Mallorca fans felt this deeply.
On March 23, at the Son Moix Stadium, the collective roar of over 20,000 Mallorca fans made the entire stadium tremble, surprising even the Galatasaray fans who had previously looked down on Spanish supporters, thinking they lacked courage!