After a week when, in South Yorkshire, police found £12 million pounds worth of cocaine, six AK47 assault rifles and 200 live hand grenades in a house behind the public library in Barnsley – residents were said to be shocked as they didn’t know there was a library in Barnsley! – Real Mallorca play Basque side Alaves in Son Moix tomorrow (Saturday 27th) at 18:30. It’s a must-win game for the Palma side because if we don’t pick up all three points, the white hankies could well be out. Coach Arrasate is not producing what was expected of him so far this season, after a disastrous second half of the last campaign.
Not since the days of Take Kubo and Kang In Lee have Mallorca fans seen a player who could change the outcome of a game by making an appearance off the bench with time running out. Last Sunday in the 82nd minute with Mallorca losing 0-1, 19-year-old teenager Jan Virgili came on and turned the game on its head. From the first time he touched the ball, dribbling past an Atletico defender before nutmegging him a minute later, a murmur of approval could be heard all over the ground. Sadly a few numpties had already left early before Virgili came on and they missed a real treat. He put the ball on a plate for Muriqi to head in the equaliser in a game Mallorca looked like losing against ten men.
Two years ago Virgili was playing in the youth team of Nastic de Tarragona before being scouted by Barcelona who rightly saw him as one for the future. Last season he played his first game with Barça Atletic and in a short space of time his growth has been extraordinary. His debut for Mallorca last Sunday was impressive to say the least. In over 40 years of watching Real Mallorca and not since Samuel Eto’o turned out for us in 2000 have I seen home fans wowed so much in just 15 minutes. The teenager lifted a crowd that were shaking their heads in disbelief as to how poor we were, running around like headless chickens. Watching his performance brings four words to mind, self-confidence, explosiveness and directness, things that the Mallorca flanks have been crying out for in recent seasons.
Unfortunately, young Virgili has been cruelly snatched away and called up by the Spanish Under 20s coach to play in their unofficial FIFAWorld Cup, being held in Chile until October 19. He’ll miss a minimum of three games and a maximum of four, depending on how far Spain get in the competition. The only good thing is that his absence coincides with the second international break. If Spain don’t make the final, he’ll be back for the Sevilla away game on October 19. It’s frustrating to see him whisked away but if he avoids injury, he should be back in Son Moix against Levante on the weekend of October 26/27.
One new signing we hope gets back in his stride sooner than later is the Spanish Under 21 striker Mateo Joseph (nephew of ex England player Emile Heskey). Since arriving on loan from Leeds United his accuracy in front of goal leaves a lot to be desired, as he begins to find his feet with Real Mallorca. He doesn’t lack commitment but he needs to improve his scoring figures. At 21 years old at Leeds (then in the Championship) in two seasons he only scored four goals.
Spain's men/women top world rankings
I’m a huge fan of Spanish football despite the fact that there’s precious little money available because of tight salary restrictions. The slower pace of play in La Liga allows for more time on the ball in contrast to the breakneck speed of Premier League matches. On average, Premier League players’ salaries are much higher than those in La Liga. However, this doesn’t necessarily translate into better performances on the pitch. The wealth gap between top tier clubs like Real Madrid or Barcelona and smaller teams within La Liga can be vast. Any English clubs can destroy the road map of a Spanish team as they cherry pick the best Spanish players. Presently there are 28 Spanish players competing in the English Premier League.
Not since 2015 has one country held the number one position in the senior men’s and women’s games. The respective Spanish national sides have both assumed pole position in the rankings following the release at the latest charts. The women’s team are the current world champions and holders of the UEFA Nations League. This Summer they remained unbeaten through Euro 2025 but lost out to reigning European Champions England in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
The Spanish men’s team are the reigning European champions and won seven successive games last Summer, sweeping aside three former world champions, Germany, France and England, to win a record-breaking title. Spain’s men’s teams are on a 26 match unbeaten streak and have taken the No. 1 spot for the first time since 2014. That makes them one of the favourites for next Summer’s World Cup.
AND FINALLY, two women were playing golf, the first one teed off and watched in horror as her ball headed straight towards a foursome of men playing the next hole. The ball hit one of the men and he immediately clasped his hands together at his crotch, fell to the ground and proceeded to roll around in agony. The woman rushed down to the man, apologising profusely, “Please allow me to help, I’m a physical therapist and know I can relieve your pain if you’d let me ?” The man was bent double in the foetal position and decided to let the woman help him. She gently took his hand away, loosened his golf trousers, put her hands inside and began to massage the injured area. She asked him “How does that feel now ?” He answered “It feels great but my thumb still hurts like hell !!”