Chapter 70: A False Alarm
"Victory in the UEFA Cup! Mallorca returns home in glory!"
"Breaking news! After winning the UEFA Cup, the entire Mallorca team took a brief rest overnight before heading back to the island, where they were greeted by enthusiastic fans welcoming them!"
"Breaking! It has been reported that, shortly after winning the UEFA Cup, an incident occurred when the entire Mallorca team disembarked from their plane. Coach José fell off the plane and was immediately rushed to the largest hospital in Mallorca..."
"Accurate information has come through: Coach José Alemany of Mallorca was carried off the plane by stretcher. It's said that he injured his back during the celebrations in Copenhagen, and had to return home in this uncomfortable manner..."
"New UEFA Cup-winning coach José Alemany has returned home with a back injury. It's still unclear whether this injury occurred during celebrations or due to another reason."
"Reports indicate that during the wild celebrations that night, Mallorca's entire team was caught up in the excitement. José went out alone, spending the night with ten women, leading to severe strain on his muscles..."
Within a single night, all the media turned into gossip mills, with even the historic UEFA Cup win by Mallorca being overshadowed by José's dramatic fall from the plane. The picture of him being carried off the plane by young players Mota and Luke became the headline, sparking a mix of laughter and curiosity over how José had actually injured himself.
"These bastards are really something, can they just stop guessing?"
José cursed out loud, sprawled on his hospital bed, looking far from dignified. Standing before him was Natal, who was barely holding in his laughter. The various speculations from the newspapers had been so amusing that he'd been chuckling nonstop. And now, seeing José like this, it was only making it worse.
"Looks like I won't be able to coach the final round of the league... but it's no big deal. The last match doesn't really matter anyway. Just let the starters rest and send in the substitutes. You handle the tactics," José said.
Natal nodded. The final match was essentially a formality. With Mallorca securing their spot in the top ten, and after the UEFA Cup victory, this was the perfect opportunity for those rarely used substitutes to get some playing time. Atlético Madrid, their opponent, had already been relegated two rounds earlier, so there was no risk of being accused of throwing the game.