I Am Jose-Chapter 78 - : A Strong Return

Grand and Pep stormed out of Mallorca's shareholders' meeting, enraged.

After delivering a line reminiscent of Liang Jiahui's from Black Gold, José didn't press them further. Besides, with the winter transfer funds still available, there was no rush—he needed to give them some time to gather their resources.

"Son, what do you think they'll do?" After Grand and Pep left, Alemany asked his son.

"What can they do? They've got three choices... oh wait, no, make that two," José chuckled. "First, they can ignore it, let me inject more money and take more shares. That way, as long as I keep putting money into the transfer market every year, I can gradually acquire more shares. Once I hit seventy-five percent, I can initiate a takeover. Even if the takeover doesn't happen, their shares will become worthless, without any impact on our control. I suspect... Grand won't sit idly by and let that happen, but Pep, on the other hand, might—he doesn't have the money to invest, and even if his shares shrink, their value won't change much. He might just let it slide. It depends on how good their relationship is."

"The second option is to follow along with the investment to maintain influence and protect their current shares. A $15 million investment isn't too little, but it's not insignificant either. Grand will need to put up $4.5 million, and Pep $750,000... They can afford it, but it might strain them. Grand's Drac Group claims assets worth $500 million, but as an investment firm, their cash flow isn't huge. When they have spare funds, they invest. Plus, Grand may be the president of Drac, but the company isn't entirely his, and his personal assets are only in the tens of millions. If we compare, he's no match for me."

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After listening to his son's analysis, Alemany nodded slightly and asked, "What's the third option?"

"The third... is the best outcome. After weighing the pros and cons, they both sell their shares to me. At least they can break even and make a profit—everyone wins. Unfortunately, I doubt they'll go for that. Grand won't be willing, and Pep, if he sells, will probably sell to Grand first, not me. But with sixty-five percent of the shares, that's more than enough."

"Maybe they'll sell," Alemany mused, "After all, it's getting harder for Mallorca to turn a profit."

"Not necessarily," José grinned. "Grand might still believe the shares will be profitable... but I won't let him win, hehe."

"Honestly, if they keep investing and dragging things out with us, it's going to be a hassle," Alemany said, thinking it over. He knew his son planned to make the club better, and he was all for that. But the more wealth the club accumulates, the bigger a share Grand would get, and that didn't sit well with him. If it were someone he liked, fine. But this annoying guy getting a cut just irked him.

"He won't get too much out of it. I'll make sure he gets no dividends. If his company starts struggling, the only option left will be to sell shares... Even if it brings him more profit later, it won't be easy for him. At least, he'll have to keep pumping money in every year," José sneered.

News of the personnel changes at Mallorca quickly caused a huge stir!

José, who had only been an interim coach last season, had led the club to a glorious UEFA Cup victory but had to take a break due to exhaustion. His successor, Vázquez, had a terrible run, and José's outstanding results, sandwiched between two disappointing coaches, only made him seem more brilliant and wise.

Five months later, José underwent a dramatic transformation—going from an ordinary interim coach to the largest shareholder of Mallorca, with a sixty-five percent stake!

This news shook Spanish football, as no coach had ever held so many shares in a Spanish club. But legally, José's acquisition was flawless—everything was in order, with proper documentation and approval from both the Spanish Football Federation and the Balearic government, dispelling any doubts.

"Where could a coach get that much money? The source of his funds is suspicious!" Some people raised such questions.

However, both the Spanish government and the Balearic Parliament responded to media inquiries by stating that José's funding sources were clean. Though they didn't reveal specifics, this statement was enough to silence any speculation.

After clearing up questions about José's acquisition, the media began to voice concerns about Mallorca's future. They doubted whether José, a young coach in his twenties, could generate enough funds to strengthen the team. Previously, Asensio and Grand had relied on massive financial backing, but José's wealth was hard to imagine.

However, Mallorca's fans were ecstatic after hearing the news. Although they had been unsure whether José would stay with Mallorca, now that he was the club's largest shareholder, there was no question—he was staying! He would continue to coach Mallorca and lead them to even greater heights.

Meanwhile, José didn't intend to make an immediate appearance.

Firstly, Vázquez hadn't been terrible as a coach. Secondly, taking over immediately after becoming the largest shareholder would be bad for his reputation in Spain's coaching circles. And thirdly, he had plans for the winter break.

The $15 million investment was enough to make a significant impact, even if it couldn't buy Figo's leg, it could still be very useful.

Now, as Mallorca's new technical director, José had work to do—he had to live up to the title, after all.

"The changes in the club's management won't affect the team's operation," Alemany said the day after José's acquisition was announced. He appeared alone at a press conference to address questions about the club's recent changes.

José wasn't present, nor was Grand, the second-largest shareholder. Only old Alemany smiled on stage, radiating a calm that seemed almost Buddha-like.

"José never considered becoming Mallorca's head coach. However, if the club needs him, he will give everything he has. But at present, Coach Vázquez hasn't made any major mistakes, and the club's management believes he can do even better moving forward."

Alemany's words disappointed Mallorca's fans somewhat, but they still held on to hope. As long as José said he would return if needed, they knew he wouldn't let the club falter.

Meanwhile, Stankovic, who had been ready to leave after five seasons with the club, was now regretting his decision. With José back in control, he could have had a better chance to showcase his talents. But now, with the contract signed, there was no turning back.

If only they had known earlier! If only the Marseilles offer had been communicated sooner, José would have made a move to keep Stankovic. But now, it was too late.

As José returned to power, Stankovic, who had spent five and a half seasons with Mallorca, was about to leave the club.