Chapter 58: Goodbye, Mr. Hiddink
José firmly believed in the abilities of Mota and Luke. Despite their youth, Luke was nearly 22, and Mota, though still under 18, was already quite skilled. If it weren't for the established first-team players like N'Gonga and Tristan occupying their positions, José would have promoted them to the first team long ago. But given that Mota could also play as an attacking midfielder and Luke could fill in as a left-winger, José had his reasons for not using these two players right away.
Things were different now in La Liga compared to a few years ago. In the future, each first-team squad would be limited to just 25 players, with fixed jersey numbers from 1 to 25, no larger numbers allowed, and no mid-season promotions from the second team. Players could only be added during summer and winter transfers. So, once a player lost their first-team number, they would have no chance of playing for at least half a season. But right now, there was still the option to promote players from the second team.
The reason José wasn't using these two players for now was simple: he planned to only coach for half the season and then work towards gaining control of the club. If Mota and Luke performed too well during that time, the board would likely sell them, and José didn't want to lose two of his best assets. He wanted to keep them until he had more power over transfers.
José acknowledged that he had personal reasons for how he was handling Mota and Luke, but so what? Everyone had their own selfish motives. He didn't think he was doing anything wrong. It was better for them to get more experience in the second division rather than be benchwarmers in the first team, especially Mota. He needed more time to get accustomed to the Spanish style of play.
Now, promoting them to the first team was more about letting them get used to the tempo of the first team. The season was almost over, so not playing a few more games in the second division wouldn't matter much. It was good for them to get a feel for La Liga, and especially for experiencing the atmosphere of the UEFA Cup final.
When José brought Mota and Luke to the first-team training field, captain N'Gonga welcomed them on behalf of the team. Their former teammates, Tristan and Franco, were also excited to greet them. No one objected to José's decision. His timing was perfect. If he had promoted players from the second team right after taking over, the first-team players might have felt that their new coach was favoring his own men and disregarding the veterans. Mallorca had many older players, and a strong veteran faction had formed. Going against them would have been dangerous, even for someone like José. But now, with the team already safe from relegation, promoting young players wouldn't upset the veterans.
After a few relatively light training days, Mallorca faced Real Betis in the 35th round of the league.
For Real Betis, this season had been a nightmare.
With 36 points, they were tied with Atlético Madrid, and only ahead of Oviedo (38 points), Numancia (40 points), and Santander (41 points). The other teams were already safe, and the remaining relegation spots would likely be decided between these five teams. Betis was in the worst position.