I Am Jose-Chapter 156 - : Problem Solved

Mallorca started the season with a 3-0 victory over Las Palmas. While it wasn't an earth-shattering win, it did set a new record for the club—it was the first time in three years that Mallorca had won their opening league match. In the past two seasons, they had never managed to kick off with a victory. But now, in José's first full season in charge from the start, they had secured a strong opening win.

And it wasn't just a win—it was a dominant performance. It was so convincing that it signaled a fundamental shift. Mallorca was no longer just an upper mid-table team; they were now a true powerhouse.

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In previous seasons, even after José took over, Mallorca often struggled against lower-tier teams. They would win, but only by the slimmest of margins, often by just a single goal. However, as last season progressed, their dominance became more apparent. They ended the league campaign with three consecutive four-goal performances and even defeated Barcelona 3-1 in the Copa del Rey, proving their continued improvement.

Being a strong team isn't just about playing well against top opponents—it's about overwhelming weaker teams, too. That's the true hallmark of a great team. And now, Mallorca had reached that level.

After this round of league matches, national teams called up their players for international duty. Eto'o was with Cameroon, Ronaldinho with Brazil, Kaladze with Georgia, Gamarra with Paraguay, Van Buyten with Belgium, and Rufete with Spain. This made six Mallorca players on international duty, an increase from last season's five. Despite Delgado's departure, the arrivals of Van Buyten and Rufete kept Mallorca's international presence strong.

José was particularly surprised that Capdevila had also been called up by Spain. It was likely due to Barcelona's Sergi not performing well last season, leaving Spain without a solid left-back option—a problem that was widespread across world football.

Capdevila was delighted. His move to Mallorca had been driven by the desire for more playing time in La Liga, and now he had achieved his goal. It also reinforced his commitment to staying at the club. The top four teams in La Liga already had established left-backs: Roberto Carlos at Real Madrid, Sergi at Barcelona, Romero at Deportivo, and Carboni at Valencia. While they were aging, they were still performing well. Given Mallorca's strong standing in the league, Capdevila had no reason to leave.

Franco, on the other hand, was frustrated. The national team continued to overlook him, even though Atlético Madrid's Burgos, playing in the Segunda División, had been called up. It was clear that Bielsa preferred experienced players over newcomers.

Besides his omission from the national team, Franco faced another issue.

La Liga had strict limits on foreign players—each team could register only four. This was a challenge for clubs, especially since South American players, particularly Argentinians, were both affordable and well-suited to Spanish football due to shared language and cultural similarities. Historically, many Argentinians had Spanish ancestry and held Spanish passports, allowing them to bypass foreign player restrictions. However, not all players had that advantage, which led some to resort to fake passports.

The issue had existed for some time, but last season, it escalated. Mallorca's opening-day opponents, Las Palmas, had two Brazilian players, Álvaro and Baiano, suspended for six months after being caught using fake Portuguese passports. Alavés' Argentine goalkeeper Herrera faced a similar ban for a fake Italian passport. Most recently, Segunda División side Tenerife's Brazilian forward Barata had been suspended for a year.

While clubs were often unaware of these falsifications, agents and players exploited loopholes to secure transfers. The Spanish FA, however, had taken notice and decided to investigate nearly 400 non-EU players with EU passports. Naturally, Mallorca was also under scrutiny.

Among Mallorca's players, four were non-EU, while five others held EU passports. Mota's Italian citizenship was legitimate due to direct ancestry. Jorge had lived in the Netherlands for five years and legally obtained a Dutch passport. García's Spanish citizenship was also in order, and Drogba had been in France since the age of five, making his French nationality unquestionable. However, Franco was under investigation. The Spanish FA formally requested Mallorca submit detailed documentation to verify his Italian passport.

This put immense pressure on Franco. Although he knew his passport was genuine, being questioned was unsettling. Mallorca, however, stood firmly behind him.

José didn't need to intervene directly—club president Alemany handled it. In an interview, Alemany expressed his frustration:

"The FA's decision is baffling. A player eligible to run for president in Italy somehow has a questionable passport? We have comprehensive documentation proving Franco's credentials. Mallorca has never used a player with a fake passport—never before, not now, and never in the future!"

Following this public statement, Mallorca swiftly submitted Franco's records to the FA.

After reviewing the documents, the FA confirmed Franco's passport was legitimate, bringing the issue to a close. This was a relief for Mallorca. With Franco as their only reliable goalkeeper, any complications could have been disastrous. Miki was a decent backup, but if Franco were sidelined, Mallorca would be in serious trouble.

José had considered signing a top goalkeeper, but quality keepers were hard to find. Cech was out of the question due to the foreign player limit. As for domestic options, aside from Casillas, none truly impressed him. Reina needed another two years to develop, Valdés was still in Barcelona's youth setup and difficult to acquire, and De Gea was still just a kid.

Fortunately, José wasn't overly concerned about youth development. Piri was already scouting talent across Spain, and José trusted his judgment to find promising young players for the academy.

Franco wasn't a world-class goalkeeper, but he was the best fit for Mallorca at the moment. With his passport issue resolved, Mallorca's goalkeeping position was secure for the season.

José had a brief conversation with Franco and found that the goalkeeper wasn't dwelling on his national team snub or the investigation. Instead, he was more determined than ever to prove himself on the field.

"I'm not Argentinian, nor am I Argentina's national team coach, so I can't decide whether you get called up. But you control your own destiny. Mallorca has always produced top goalkeepers. After Roa, there's you. Roa was Argentina's starting keeper in the 1998 World Cup—I want you to earn that same honor. You'll have plenty of chances this season, far more than Burgos. Do you know why I made you the starter the moment I took over? Because I believe you're better. Burgos might be better at singing rock music, but on the pitch, he's no match for you.

"He made the squad because he played in Argentina for years, and Bielsa knows him better. But if you perform well, Bielsa isn't stupid—he won't pick a Segunda División keeper over a standout in La Liga and the Champions League. That is, if you deliver. Stay focused, put in the work, and your performances will only improve. That's what's best for you."

After hearing this, Franco seemed to be even more driven.

Sure enough, in the following training sessions, Franco was more focused and sharper than ever.

With his 1.88m frame and excellent jumping ability, he had all the makings of a top goalkeeper. That's why José had immediately replaced Burgos with him—Burgos, even if slightly better at the time, had no room for further growth. Franco, on the other hand, had immense potential.

Now, after two seasons of experience, Franco had developed into a solid La Liga goalkeeper. He wasn't at Casillas' level, nor did he have the experience of Canizares or Molina, but he was certainly more reliable than Barcelona's current crop of keepers.

With this issue resolved and Franco's motivation reignited, Mallorca gained another key advantage. Now, José's only concern was whether his seven internationals would return from duty in good condition.

A week and a half later, the players rejoined the squad. It was clear their national teams had relied heavily on them. Gamarra played two full matches. Van Buyten, too, played both games. Eto'o started twice.

Ronaldinho played one and a half games. Kaladze played both in full. The Spanish internationals, however, had lighter workloads—Capdevila started just once, while Rufete only played a half, meaning they had conserved more energy.

Though the players were excited from their national team experiences, José knew they were physically drained.

"Looks like I'll have to rotate the squad."

Seeing his fatigued players, José smiled wryly. The FIFA virus had struck sooner than expected.

"Well, rotation was always going to be necessary. The schedule is much tougher this season, and with a deeper squad, it would be a waste not to use it."