I Am Jose

After entering the second congested stretch of the season, Mallorca appeared far more composed and confident.

Although they let a two-goal lead slip in the first half against Sevilla in the eighth round of the league, allowing their opponents to equalize, what followed was a remarkable winning streak.

In the fourth round of the Champions League group stage, Mallorca delivered a decisive 3-0 victory at home against Schalke 04. Their technical superiority was on full display as they dominated midfield and relentlessly launched attacks. Through well-timed runs from deep, they caught their opponents off guard. Ronaldinho, Motta, and Rufete each found the back of the net, securing a crucial win. This result put Mallorca firmly at the top of the group, while Arsenal dealt Panathinaikos a second consecutive defeat, ranking second with nine points. Panathinaikos remained third with four points, and Schalke sat at the bottom with zero. With just one more point needed from the next match, Mallorca was virtually guaranteed to advance.

In the ninth round of La Liga, Mallorca once again dominated at home, thrashing bottom-placed Rayo Vallecano 4-0, with Eto'o and Luque both scoring twice.

Next up was a crucial Champions League clash: an away game against Arsenal.

Mallorca had ten points, Arsenal had nine, and Panathinaikos trailed with just four. A simple draw between Mallorca and Arsenal would see both teams advance to the next round. Logically, Arsenal should have welcomed a peaceful result. However, José knew better—after failing to avenge their previous defeat in Spain, Arsenal would be eager to settle the score at Highbury. Moreover, securing the top spot in the group was still important to them.

But José wasn't interested in wasting excessive energy on this match. He was never the kind of manager who cared about pride over practicality. At Highbury, Mallorca once again forced Arsenal to relive the frustration they had experienced a year ago—facing a rock-solid defensive setup with no way through.

José even left Luque on the bench, deploying Ronaldinho and Eto'o up front while lining up four defensive midfielders—Kaladze, García, Motta, and Márquez—across the middle. This setup created an impenetrable barrier in front of the penalty area, allowing the two tall center-backs behind them to maximize their defensive strengths. Arsenal tried every trick in the book but couldn't break Mallorca's defensive line. At the same time, they remained wary of Mallorca's quick counterattacks. By the 75th minute, Wenger had seen enough—he substituted Henry and Bergkamp for Wiltord and Jeffers, essentially conceding the fight for victory. After all, Arsenal had their own league battles to worry about.

José simply smiled—after all, even if you wanted a peaceful resolution, you still needed the strength to make it happen.