Chapter 157: Determined to Win
Squad rotation wasn't just because a few international players were showing signs of fatigue.
On September 9, Mallorca had an away match against Athletic Bilbao. Then, on September 12, they would host the club's first-ever Champions League group stage match at home—against Arsenal. Clearly, José prioritized this match far more.
While both the league and the Champions League were equally important—arguably, the league was the foundation of any club—La Liga consisted of 38 rounds. Two seasons ago, even when Mallorca was in chaos, José still managed to lead the team to a decent finish. A few bad games in the league weren't a big deal. Generally, in a 38-match season, securing over 70 points was enough to guarantee a top-four finish or even contend for the title. Of course, some unlucky teams had failed to win the league despite reaching 90 points—but that wasn't unheard of either.
On the other hand, the Champions League group stage consisted of just six matches. A single poor result could mean disaster. In the short term, the Champions League was naturally the priority.
Thus, after arriving in Bilbao, José benched five of the seven international players. Nino returned to the starting lineup, partnering Nadal in central defense. Pablo García replaced Kaladze in midfield, pairing with Motta as the two holding midfielders. The other two midfielders were Novo and Engonga, while young striker Klasnic partnered Luque up front.
Of the seven internationals—Eto'o, Ronaldinho, Rufete, Kaladze, Van Buyten, and Gamarra—all started on the bench. Only Capdevila was in the starting XI. Engonga, Novo, and Nino made their first appearances of the season.
Such a large-scale rotation inevitably affected Mallorca's performance, yet their defense remained solid. They withstood the attacks of Urzaiz, Etxeberria, and others, holding the defensive line firm. Meanwhile, Franco delivered a series of brilliant saves, as if trying to prove to Marcelo Bielsa that leaving him out of the national team was a huge mistake!
Urzaiz's powerful header—Franco punched it away!
Guerrero's lob from the edge of the box—Franco swiftly moved, took a few steps back, and leaped to tip it over the bar!