I Am Jose

In their Copa del Rey match, Mallorca fielded nearly all their starters—a decision that sparked mixed reactions in the media. Some praised the club for taking the competition seriously, while others deemed it unwise since they were due to host Valencia at home over the weekend.

Valencia currently sits fourth in the league, four points ahead of Mallorca—making them a direct rival. José had been particularly irate after their last league defeat, largely because, despite Valencia losing at home to Real Madrid in the previous round, Mallorca had failed to capitalize and narrow the gap. Such missed opportunities were a significant setback in achieving the season's objectives. While a league is decided over many matches, passing up a golden chance was undeniably unfortunate.

However, José had come to a realization: beyond any three-point swing, the priority must be to stabilize the team. They had already pocketed a respectable number of points and had the foundation to solidify the squad's structure. With one or two more wins, Mallorca would gain the confidence necessary for the remainder of the season.

Thus, even with Valencia looming in the schedule, José continued to use most of his first-team players in the Copa del Rey match—first, to build further on-field understanding, and second, because Mallorca's youthful starters were in excellent physical condition.

Facing Valencia was a match José was determined to win. While they trailed Real Madrid by 14 points, the gaps with the other top teams were much smaller—four behind Valencia, six behind Barcelona, and seven behind Deportivo La Coruña. With 18 rounds left, even if head-to-head wins were hard to come by, increasing the win rate against mid-table teams and waiting for rivals to slip up would eventually create an opening. The key, however, was to avoid losing outright.

Valencia's squad had undergone major changes this season. Last season's midfield stalwarts, Gerardo and Farinos, had left, and their leading scorer López had transferred out. In their place, Valencia signed Atlético Madrid's defensive midfielder Baraja, French international Deschamps, Argentine captain Ayala, the creative Aimar, Slovenian skipper Zahovič, Norwegian forward Carew, Uruguayan striker Alonso, and promising youngster Vicente, among others. The reshuffling had worked well early in the season—Valencia even led the league for 11 rounds—but recent losses to La Coruña, Barcelona, and Real Madrid had seen them drop to fourth, even though they remained one of Spain's elite teams.

José was particularly excited about facing Coach Cúper. He knew this match would likely be his final encounter with Cúper—by historical precedent, after this season, Cúper was set to become Inter Milan's head coach, and this round would be the last meeting between Mallorca and Valencia this season. For José, it was a defining battle. Since the season began, he had gradually steered Mallorca away from the defensive identity that Cúper had instilled. Last season, due to various circumstances, he nearly gave up on matches against Valencia—but not this time. He would not relent!

Cúper had forged a rock-solid defensive reputation for Mallorca—a legacy that the club still benefited from. Now, however, José intended to use aggressive attacking play to prove to Cúper that the Mallorca he now led had learned to tear open even the finest defensive lines—yes, even those of Valencia, which are often hailed as the best in La Liga.

With few marquee clashes on the schedule, the Mallorca–Valencia match naturally became the focal point of the round. The contest between the old and the new generation of top coaches was an irresistible storyline, and reporters soon crowded around José for interviews.