Chapter 160: A Brand-New Experience
The first round of the Champions League was filled with surprises.
Arsenal's loss to Mallorca was an upset, as was Bayern Munich's draw against Sparta Prague, Deportivo La Coruña being held by Olympiacos, and Liverpool failing to beat Boavista. However, Roma's 1-2 home defeat to Real Madrid was not exactly shocking.
The most amusing turn of events for Mallorca fans was Schalke 04's humiliating 0-2 home loss to Greek side Panathinaikos. This was particularly ironic because, after the group draw, Schalke's general manager confidently claimed, "We have a great chance to qualify as the second-placed team. Both Mallorca and Panathinaikos are weaker than us." Now, after the first round, it was Mallorca and Panathinaikos sitting at the top of the group, while Schalke 04's bold words seemed utterly ridiculous.
After the match, José didn't hold back in his post-game interview:
"We are a strong team. Last season, we were La Liga runners-up. Two seasons ago, three Spanish teams reached the Champions League semifinals. Last season, two La Liga sides made it to the final four. To finish second in such a competitive league is proof of our strength. I don't understand why some still consider Mallorca a weak team based solely on past impressions. That's an absurd way of judging teams. In this regard, UEFA has been more professional—at least they rated us as a second-tier team in the group draw."
José's remarks were a direct slap in the face for the German media, who initially thought Schalke 04 had gotten an easy group. They believed Arsenal was the only real threat, but after the first round, Arsenal and Schalke had both lost, while the supposed "whipping boys"—Mallorca and Panathinaikos—were leading the group.
Spanish clubs as a whole had performed well in the opening round. Other than Deportivo La Coruña's draw, Mallorca had stunned Arsenal 2-0 at home, Real Madrid won 2-1 away against Roma, and Barcelona comfortably defeated Fenerbahçe 3-0 in Turkey. The dominance of La Liga in the Champions League remained evident.
For Mallorca, the upcoming schedule was relentless—back-to-back fixtures every week. This was a stark contrast to the previous two seasons, and José knew that adapting to such a tight schedule would be a crucial challenge for his team.
In the past, Mallorca's strategy had been simple: take one game at a time. Last season, their focus was entirely on the league, with the Copa del Rey being a secondary concern. José could afford to rotate players selectively while building a strong squad. But now, with the need for squad rotation, the real test was maintaining their competitive edge despite frequent changes to the starting lineup.