Chapter 161: The Challenge of a Tight Schedule
Mallorca ultimately held on for a draw in their away match. Although Eto'o and others created several chances on the counterattack, luck was not on their side, and they failed to score. However, securing a draw away from home was still a good result. With this point, Mallorca climbed to the top of the group standings, Panathinaikos dropped to second, while Arsenal moved up to third after a 3-2 home victory over Schalke 04, who remained at the bottom after losing both of their opening matches.
This outcome left the German media speechless. Apart from Schalke 04, Borussia Dortmund only managed two draws, and Bayern Munich had one win and one draw. The only German team performing well was Bayer Leverkusen, who won both of their matches and topped their group, even securing a crucial victory against Barcelona in the second round.
After completing these two Champions League group-stage matches, José wasn't feeling much aside from confirming that the Champions League was indeed a gold mine. Even before the group stage began, Mallorca had already received a $6 million broadcasting fee—equivalent to the club's entire league TV revenue for the season. Additional revenue came from home match ticket sales and extra TV fees, while bonuses from one win and one draw totaled nearly $1 million. No wonder clubs were willing to spend heavily on signings to strengthen their squads, not to mention the hidden benefits of increased exposure.
"By the way, what's Roa doing these days?"
Back in Mallorca, José wasted no time and immediately sought out Natal.
"Roa?" Natal was momentarily taken aback before recalling Mallorca's former starting goalkeeper from two years ago.
Natal had been with Mallorca for seven or eight years, long enough to remember Roa. The Argentine had been the national team's first-choice goalkeeper but shockingly retired before his career even began to decline. His reason? His religious beliefs and a desire to avoid the impending apocalypse.
"He's been in seclusion for about two years now," Natal said, thinking for a moment. "I remember he retired after the 1998-99 season. Supposedly, he's been living in the mountains near Buenos Aires, waiting for an angel to come and take him to salvation."
At this, Natal couldn't help but chuckle. "I recall an Argentine journalist who went through great trouble last year to find him for an interview. Roa was furious at first—he thought the angel had finally come to save him!"