Chapter 59: Sharpening the Swords
When will José meet Hiddink again? He doesn't know. In his memory, the next step for Hiddink was likely to be moving to Asia and coaching the South Korean national team to a historic achievement at the 2002 World Cup. What happened to him afterward, José wasn't clear on. After all, back then, José was just an ordinary football fan. He followed the major European leagues and global tournaments like the World Cup and the European Championship. It wasn't until the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when Hiddink almost led Australia to knock Italy out of the quarterfinals, that Hiddink came into his radar. After that, José's impression of Hiddink mainly revolved around his time leading Russia to eliminate England and reach the European Championship final, as well as his brief stint as Chelsea's interim coach. As for what Hiddink did in between, José wasn't sure.
So, José thought it unlikely that he would encounter Hiddink again. After all, in his mind, Hiddink was a coach who had achieved great success with national teams but rarely worked with club teams.
As expected, the day after the match, Real Betis announced that Hiddink had been dismissed, with the assistant coach stepping in as the interim manager. Betis president Lopera stated that the team would fight bravely in the final three rounds to avoid relegation.
However, at this point, no one believed his words. In the same round, Oviedo defeated Sevilla, Santander and Numancia drew, and Betis found themselves three points behind the relegation zone, becoming just like Atlético Madrid, who had also lost that day.
José had nothing to say about Hiddink's dismissal. The team was plagued by internal factions, management interference, and a clueless president in Lopera, who liked to meddle in affairs. Under such circumstances, it would be a miracle to achieve good results.
As a top coach, it was a tragic way for Hiddink to depart. José couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness—no matter what, a manager's power is weak when facing the club, and even more so when up against a unified group of players. The reason is simple: it's easier to replace a manager than to overhaul an entire squad. For club presidents, it's always simpler to choose the former.
Thus, ambitious managers began to fight harder for power. Ferguson's position was unshakable, Wenger entered Arsenal's board of directors, and after his disappointing exit from Chelsea, Mourinho realized the importance of power, which eventually led to his power struggle with Valdano at Real Madrid. It wasn't necessarily just Mourinho's excessive desire for power, but the truth is, to fully control a club, one needs to steer it in the direction they envision.
If the players you want to keep are sold due to financial reasons, if players you don't want are brought in because of management's preferences, if players you wish to promote can't get a chance because of senior players holding their ground—this is the kind of thing a manager hates.
José didn't want to face this kind of situation, so he knew he needed to take control of the club's power. This half-season was merely the foundation for building his reputation among the fans.