Chapter 73: The New Mallorca
A warm breeze from the Mediterranean swept across the island of Mallorca, bringing the promise of summer. As the season arrived, the weather on the island began to grow increasingly hot.
The intense summer heat persisted until mid-October before gradually cooling, and even then, the drop in temperature was minimal. The Mediterranean paradise truly lived up to its reputation; with its spring-like weather year-round, it was the islanders' greatest treasure.
To protect this natural wealth, even though tourism was the island's main economic driver, the local council imposed an environmental protection fee on every visitor to help maintain the ecological balance. Most of the island remained undeveloped, preserving its pristine condition.
While the weather remained ideal, the mood of the Mallorcans, however, began to sour.
After the appointment of the new head coach, Vázquez, the outstanding rookie from last season, Diego Tristan, was sold by the club. His price tag, close to twenty million dollars, was certainly impressive. Tristan transferred to the reigning league champions, Deportivo La Coruña, and he was the only player Mallorca sold this season.
However, Vázquez was only able to secure five million dollars in transfer fees to strengthen the team. This paltry sum was insufficient to bring in any big-name stars. With the loss of a key forward, Vázquez's priority was to address the offensive gaps—after all, the primary striker duo from last season was no longer available. Carlos and Ginteros were unreliable, and though the Argentine striker, Biagini, had recovered from a long injury, how much form he could regain was still uncertain.
Vázquez's ambitious overhaul of the squad was left unfulfilled. He spent the entire five million dollars on offensive players, securing the 29-year-old George from relegated Betis for two million dollars. Although George wasn't yet past his prime and still had a strong aerial presence and impact on the wings, his acquisition was thanks to Betis's relegation.
Vázquez had hoped to take advantage of other relegated teams, but his plans fell through. Alfonso from Betis moved to Barcelona, Solari and Beléron from Atlético Madrid joined Real Madrid and La Coruña, respectively, while Hesselbaink went to Chelsea, and José Mari transferred to AC Milan. None of these players ended up at Mallorca.
Vázquez, who lacked strong ties in Spain, struggled to find players willing to join him. More importantly, without the necessary funds, his options were limited.