After a week when the story about turtles being released into the sea on Es Trenc beach reminded me of the man who went into Waterstones book shop and enquired if they stocked any books on turtles – the assistant said “Hard back ?” and the man replied “Yes, and little heads !” – Real Mallorca’s director of football Pablo Ortells is in no rush to seal a deal that would see Real Mallorca’s star player, 22-year-old South Korean Kang In Lee, leave for footballing giants Paris Saint Germain in the next few days.
Despite the insistence of PSG (who are just about to install Luis Enrique as their next manager) conversations with their sporting director Luis Campos are progressing on the right track but they are far from being closed. Both entities are still negotiating the details on any potential move with Mallorca allegedly holding out for their asking price of 22 million plus euros.
The possibility of including a player on loan to reduce the price has been negotiated but it seems impossible. PSG could offer a young rookie player or some reject who is unlikely to be part of the first team set-up. Mallorca would want the Paris club to assume the salary payment for a player who must fit the bill for the island team’s needs.
With Kang In Lee now on holiday, it’s a case of let’s see how this saga unfolds. Personally any deal will no doubt provide ample boost for Kang in marketing and financial terms but the chances of him reaching a higher level in Paris are debatable. PSG are not well known for developing young talent and the unstable environment there could see Kang In Lee spending a lot of time sitting on the bench.
25-year-old Valencia left back Toni Lato is likely to accept an offer to join us on a free transfer for four years. In other, not so good, news, both Sevilla and Atletico Madrid are in a chase to sign our right back Pablo Maffeo. He’s a key member of our team so I just hope Mallorca will turn down any offers and we can hold on to him.
Mallorca’s squad and backroom staff will be heading off to cooler climes next month. From July 12 to 22, pre-season will be in the Austrian Alps in a small village close to the Danube and near the German border. They’ll be staying in a place called Geinberg, in the four-star spa Vitalhotel Therme. Several friendlies will be arranged as the squad get ready for the vagaries of another demanding campaign.
Fans of Real Mallorca will be able to welcome back two of their former managers next season after Luis Garcia Plaza’s Alaves clinched promotion with an incredible penalty goal in the 128th minute, beating Levante 0-1 in the play offs. It’s the fourth time the hugely popular LGP has won promotion to La Liga and he’ll be joined by Vicente Moreno who brought Mallorca back to back promotions between 2018/19. After a spell in Saudi Arabia, he takes over at Almeria.
June 28, 2003 was an historic day for Spanish football. It was the first time in a century that the Copa del Rey had left the Spanish mainland and made its way over the sea to the Balearic islands. Football purists raised their eyebrows when it turned out the final was to be between RCD Mallorca and the oldest club in Spanish football, Recreativo Huelva (where the strawberries mostly come from !), who had just been relegated.
Spanish football chiefs had no doubt been hoping for a glamour final in the competition’s centenary year but what they got was perhaps the most unlikely final match-up. The response was to give the game an equally unlikely venue with Elche’s Estado Manuel Martinez Valero, a somewhat underwhelming choice.
Us Mallorquinistas didn’t care about who or where we were playing, just bring it on ! Although our league form was patchy, we were a team capable of playing great football and with Samuel Eto’o and Walter (“El Rifle”) Pandioni up front we were a force to be reckoned with. We were favourites in a packed stadium (40,000) and we had one or two demons to banish, having suffered cup final heartbreak in past years. We’d lost the 1998 Copa final in the cruellest of circumstances having battled through extra time with only nine men against Barcelona, only to lose a marathon penalty shoot-out 5-4. Then a year later in the last ever Cup Winners Cup final we lost 2-1 against a star-studded Lazio at Villa Park. In a one-sided affair in Elche we beat Huelva 3-0, with Eto’o scoring twice.
As often happens to smaller clubs, after that historic win, there was a mass exodus of players including coach Gregorio Manzano. He went to Atletico Madrid and poached three of our best players, leaving the Palma side with big holes in their side which they found difficult to fill.
The “Calendario” (fixture list) for season 2023/24 was made in Madrid on Thursday and RCD Mallorca will open their third successive term in top flight Spanish football at newly-promoted Las Palmas on the weekend of August 11. Our first home game will be against Villareal in Son Moix the following weekend.
Other interesting dates to look out for are September 26/27 when league champions Barcelona are the visitors, and Real Madrid with new signing Jude Bellingham come here on April 13/14. We close the season away at Getafe on May 25/26.
Since the 2019/20 season, to ensure a more comprehensive approach, various factors including security, European competitions and construction projects are taken into account through the asymmetrical La Liga calendar. The premier division will adopt the new official name of La Liga EA Sports FC from July 3. As usual there’s a Christmas break between December 22 and January 1. The season begins this year earlier than ever on August 11 because of the European championships and ends on May 26, three weeks before they start in Germany.
September 12, October 17, November 21, March 26 and June 11 have been set aside for international fixtures.
Visca Mallorca!
AND FINALLY, a guy gets chatting to an attractive middle-aged lady in a bar. They’re laughing and joking and have a few drinks when she leans forward, nibbles his ear, whispering flirtatiously “Have you ever tried a threesome ? I’ve someone at home who’d like to meet you.” The guy thinks “result” and tells her “No, I haven’t,” thinking she must have a hottie daughter in her 20s. After another drink she whispers “Tonight’s your lucky night.” They go back to her place, she takes out her keys, opens the front door, turns on the hall light and yells upstairs “Mum are you still awake !!”