Chapter 83: I’m Back
There wasn't much reaction from the media to the news of Vázquez's dismissal. Everyone knew it was just a matter of time before it happened. Not only was José lurking in the background, but the fact that Vázquez had led a mid-tier team to the bottom of the table was already the biggest mistake—keeping him for this long was a testament to the Mallorcan management's patience.
Despite the management's recent statement that they wouldn't fire Vázquez, the coach himself had tendered his resignation, leaving little for the management to be blamed for. Soon enough, old Alemany confirmed that Vázquez's resignation had been accepted, with a statement thanking him for his contributions over the past few months.
For Mallorca, Vázquez's voluntary departure was the best-case scenario. When José heard the news, he felt some degree of respect for Vázquez—at least he had resigned decisively, preserving his last bit of dignity.
What made Vázquez most helpless was that, after his dismissal, the media weren't focused on why he left, but rather on whether José would take over. From this perspective, Vázquez was indeed in a pitiful situation.
Before leaving, Vázquez had planned to talk to José, but after resigning, he had time to reflect—what had gone wrong with José? Sure, José had been arrogant after their match, but they hadn't interacted much since. Why had Vázquez deliberately tried to erase José's influence when he became the manager of Mallorca? In hindsight, that had only led to player backlash. Moreover, why had he forced an attacking style when he knew Mallorca, led by older players, wasn't suited for it? It wasn't a matter of going against José—it was more about going against himself.
But in the end, he didn't approach José. He felt he should rest for a while, carefully reflect on the mistakes he'd made over the past year, and become stronger before possibly confronting José.
Vázquez's mood wasn't something anyone cared about. The media were more interested in whether José would take over both roles. In Spain, it was quite common for a club's technical director to be a former player who had served the club, leveraging their connections and reputation. When a coach was dismissed, many teams liked to use the technical director as a stopgap, almost becoming routine.
The Mallorca fans, on the other hand, were eagerly awaiting José's return. To them, José's departure had been an accident, and now that he was coming back, it felt like the most natural thing.
Clearly, José thought the same.