I Am Jose

After the initial shock wore off, Pirri began to think things through. At first, he assumed José was joking, but it quickly became clear that he was completely serious.

If José had made this request from the start, Pirri wouldn't have even considered it—he would have refused outright. Yes, his forced resignation from Real Madrid was unfair, but he never had any desire for revenge. He had plenty of options for his next step; while some clubs were wary of the "Pirri Report" and its consequences, others recognized his value and were eager to bring him in. Barcelona was one of them. Out of spite for Real Madrid and in retaliation for losing Figo, Joan Gaspart had personally sent people to contact Pirri. But Pirri rejected the offer without hesitation—he had never wanted anything to do with Barcelona, under any circumstances.

Beyond Barcelona, two other top clubs had approached him. Héctor Cúper at Valencia and Javier Irureta at Deportivo La Coruña both saw his expertise as a significant asset. They extended sincere invitations, with Irureta even flying to Madrid to meet him in person. But despite their efforts, Pirri declined both offers. He had no interest in working for a club that directly competed with Real Madrid.

Pirri had already mapped out his future. As one of Spain's greatest players from the late '60s and '70s and a highly respected technical director at Real Madrid, finding work wouldn't be difficult. Whether as a television pundit or a guest columnist for Marca or AS, he could easily transition into a comfortable role. These jobs might not pay as well as working for a club, but for a man nearing sixty, they were more than sufficient. Only if he found himself entirely out of options would he even consider joining another team—because, at the end of the day, survival comes first.

Yet José's proposal made him rethink everything.

First, their conversation had impressed him. José's football mind, his ability to analyze players, and his understanding of the industry as a whole had left Pirri pleasantly surprised. José wasn't just a head coach—he was also the club's majority owner. That meant Pirri wouldn't have to worry about boardroom politics leading to José's departure, making his own role meaningless overnight. Having gone through that exact situation at Real Madrid, stability was now a top priority for him.

Second, while Pirri had been disheartened by his exit from Madrid, his ambition hadn't died. He had once held an influential role at one of the world's greatest clubs. Now, the idea of settling for a low-stakes media job felt unfulfilling. What José offered was not only respect but a level of authority he never even had at Real Madrid. In European football, professional pride matters more than anything else.

Lastly, Mallorca wasn't Real Madrid's rival—at least, not yet. Even if José had the talent to build something great, catching up to Real Madrid would take years. Infrastructure, finances, global influence—Mallorca was nowhere near that level. Pirri believed in José's vision but knew that, for now, the two clubs weren't in direct competition.

With all of this in mind, he couldn't ignore the opportunity. That's why he was thinking so hard about it—without these factors, he wouldn't have even considered it.