I Am Jose

For José, the end of his perfect home record felt more like a relief rather than a disappointment. It was a relief for the entire Mallorca squad as well. Despite drawing this match, Mallorca still secured the title of Winter Champions with 10 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses, totaling 35 points. They led second-placed Deportivo La Coruña by two points and third-placed Real Madrid by three!

In La Liga history, over 70% of Winter Champions have gone on to win the league title. Mallorca fans were already dreaming of the day they would lift the trophy...

But José remained calm. He knew that a two-point lead meant little. Since the start of the season, La Liga had been chaotic. Even Barcelona, who were struggling and currently sat in ninth place, had 27 points—just eight behind Mallorca. The gap between first and ninth was only eight points, meaning this season was bound to be a battle until the very last moment. Winning the title would be anything but easy.

A few poor games could mean falling from the top spot all the way out of the Champions League places in no time.

With this match over, Mallorca could finally take a break. The upcoming winter break lasted two weeks, and José gave his players a week off. After the New Year, the team would regroup to prepare for the league and Copa del Rey. From that moment on, the final sprint of the season would begin.

"This week, take the time to rest properly," José told his players. "This will be the last time you get to relax this season. After this break, you'll face a long and grueling schedule. And what we achieve by the end of the season will depend entirely on your performances!"

The players cheered collectively. Throughout the long season, this was their only real break. José was pleased with their effort so far, and this winter, he had no plans to sell anyone. Likewise, none of his players seemed eager to leave. The team was on the rise, and it looked like they could win something by season's end. Leaving now would be foolish. Even for those without loyalty to Mallorca, a strong season here would boost their market value significantly.

José didn't care too much about player loyalty. He never planned to keep all his stars—financially, it wasn't feasible. Selling players was necessary for the club's long-term sustainability. Of course, if a player was loyal, he'd be happy. But he would only sell those who were no longer committed or didn't meet his standards. Selling recklessly would only hurt the club.

Players come and go—that's the nature of football. José wasn't naive enough to think he could keep everyone as if they were chess pieces he could move at will. The real world didn't work like that.