I Am Jose

"With a last-minute winner from Croatian striker Klasnić, Mallorca secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory at home against Villarreal, extending José's perfect home record as head coach! This win propelled Mallorca back to the top of the league, leading on goal difference, just ahead of newly promoted Real Betis! This season has been full of dark horse surprises—while Mallorca were last season's league runners-up, Betis achieving such success as a newly promoted side is reminiscent of Rayo Vallecano's stunning run two seasons ago..."

With this round of fixtures completed, Mallorca climbed to the top of the table, but José wasn't in a celebratory mood. Eto'o had received a red card, meaning an automatic one-match suspension. Even if Mallorca appealed, it was certain that Eto'o would miss the upcoming away game against Barcelona.

Barcelona had been in good form recently, remaining unbeaten with three wins and two draws, collecting 11 points and sitting in third place. Their newly formed attacking trio of Saviola, Kluivert, and Rivaldo was beginning to show its strength. Without their top scorer, Eto'o, the trip to Camp Nou was bound to be a tough challenge.

While Klasnić and Drogba were both capable forwards, they were nowhere near Eto'o's level. Drogba was still refining his finishing skills, and Klasnić was more of a wild card. With Eto'o suspended, José struggled to find a suitable strike partner for Luque.

Adding to his concerns, Mallorca had been drained from their hard-fought win against Villarreal while playing with a man down. After much consideration, José decided to set up in a 4-3-3 formation at Camp Nou, deploying three defensive midfielders—Kaladze, Motta, and Pablo García—to shield the backline, while the front three of Ronaldinho, Luque, and Klasnić were tasked with leading the attack.

However, things took a disastrous turn. In the first half alone, Mallorca's defense crumbled under Barcelona's relentless attack, conceding three goals. Luis Enrique scored twice, and Saviola added another, leaving Mallorca trailing 0-3 at halftime.

Though Mallorca fought back in the second half, with Ronaldinho assisting Luque and Kaladze for two goals, it wasn't enough to turn the tide. The match ended in a 2-3 defeat, marking Mallorca's second loss of the season and dropping them to fourth place in the standings.

José wasn't too concerned about their league position—early-season rankings fluctuated constantly. Even Real Madrid was still struggling outside the top ten. What troubled him more was that he had underestimated how difficult it would be for his squad to adapt to playing two matches a week.

The only good news? Upon returning from Barcelona, José discovered that Natal had finally come back.