After a week when a viewer in Glasgow was asked what he thought about the afternoon reality TV programme about bed/breakfast owners Four in a Bed – he replied “The title is a misrepresentation, so not what I expected!” – Real Mallorca reach match day nine with a trip to the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan to play a resurgent Sevilla tomorrow (Saturday, October 18) at 14:00. Up until two weeks ago Sevilla were in the relegation area but somehow they “gubbed” Barcelona (for the first time in 10 years) 4-1, so they’ll be very motivated for tomorrow’s game. As Mallorca’s away form this year has been abysmal, a draw would be a great result!
The good news for Mallorca is that players like Muriqi and Virgili have returned from international duty unscathed. That should mean that Muriqi could at last get some goal chances as Virgili assisted in our equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid in September. Several interviews with Mallorca players over the past couple of weeks have revealed that the dressing room is convinced they can turn results around after the team’s poor start to the 2025/26 campaign. Club captain Antonio Raillo called for unity among the team.
This last international break has seemed like an eternity for us Mallorquinistas. So much has been happening on and off the pitch and it’s taken a toll on long-suffering supporters. The first half of last season saw the Son Moix faithful in dreamland. Then after a disastrous Super Cup January adventure in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the wheels fell off and Mallorca went into freefall. Many Mallorca fans (even this early in the season) are pessimistic about our chances of staying in top flight Spanish football this season as we languish in last place (on goal difference) with Real Sociedad.
A lot of Mallorca diehards (me included) reckon the ostracism of Dani Rodriguez has been one of the factors in our poor form. Pictures of him sitting in the stand with his Mallorca shirt on, watching his team-mates in action, are regularly flashed up on the big screen during match days.
Dani is/was one of the heavyweights in the dressing room, one of the captains and a cornerstone of the team’s attacking build ups.
Last season he scored our opener in the Copa del Rey final, contributed four goals and seven assists.
It’s hard to pinpoint a reason to explain our descent into hell in a matter of months and I know Dani crossed the line in his two messages on social media regarding coach Arrasate, who in turn said at the time it would be very difficult for him to forgive and forget, but I’m not so sure now. Dani’s involvement and humility, training on his own, hasn’t gone unnoticed and there are indications that if everything remains the same, he’ll soon be back in the squad from which he’s been sorely missed.
What is clear, however, is that there’s no time for excuses. We simply must start winning games.
Five points out of a possible 24 is shameful for a team who regularly punch above their weight and made Son Moix a fortress this time last year. The four games we face in Palma before Christmas must all be classed as six-pointers: matches against Levante, Osasuna, Getafe and Elche should see us with 17 points when Santa arrives with his reindeer!
However, on the road we have three super-tough fixtures against Sevilla, Betis and Villareal. Confidence in the coach remains intact (for the moment) and the feeling is that the squad, very similar to last season, has enough potential to secure survival. There’s plenty of time to turn this situation around.
The good news for Mallorca is the return of Jan Virgili, one of Spain’s stand-out players in Chile in the FIFA Under 20s World Cup. Spain reached the quarter finals before losing to a much more physical Colombia 3-2. Virgili scored against them, provided an assist against Mexico and won a penalty against Morocco. His return will most certainly bolster a misfiring attack that has been significantly weakened by the absence of Takuma Asano with his umpteenth hamstring injury.
RETRO REFLECTION: When Vicente Moreno left Real Mallorca in 2020 one of the names tipped to take over as coach was a certain Andoni Iraola, then at Rayo Vallecano, who’s now working miracles at Premier League side Bournemouth. He almost got the job here before being edged out by Luis Garcia Plaza. I wonder where Real Mallorca would be now if Iraola had got the job?
AND FINALLY, a man and his girlfriend die in a car accident and meet Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates.
He welcomes them to Heaven and asks “Do you have any questions ?” The man replies “Yes, my girlfriend and I never had a chance to get married while we were alive, can we get married in Heaven ?” Peter says “That’s a good question, I’ll be back when I have the answer.” Left at the Pearly Gates, the couple begin to talk about love and how long eternity is. Six weeks later, Peter’s back and explains “I’ve found your answer: yes, you can get married in Heaven, so come right in and enjoy eternity together.” The couple respond “We have another question. Eternity is very long and we’re not sure if our relationship will last. If things don’t work out, can we get a divorce in Heaven?” Peter looks aghast “Flipping heck!! It’s taken me six weeks to find a priest up here. Do you have any idea how long it’ll take to find a lawyer?!!!”
1 Real Madrid 8 7 0 1 19 9 21
2 Barcelona 8 6 1 1 22 9 19
3 Villarreal 8 5 1 2 14 8 16
4 Betis 8 4 3 1 13 8 15
5 Atlético 8 3 4 1 15 10 13
6 Sevilla 8 4 1 3 15 11 13
7 Elche 8 3 4 1 11 9 13
8 Athletic 8 4 1 3 9 9 13
9 Espanyol 8 3 3 2 11 11 12
10 Alavés 8 3 2 3 9 8 11
11 Getafe 8 3 2 3 9 11 11
12 Osasuna 8 3 1 4 7 8 10
13 Levante 8 2 2 4 13 14 8
14 Rayo 8 2 2 4 8 10 8
15 Valencia 8 2 2 4 10 14 8
16 Celta 8 0 6 2 7 10 6
17 Oviedo 8 2 0 6 4 14 6
18 Girona 8 1 3 4 5 17 6
19 Real Sociedad 8 1 2 5 7 12 5
20 Mallorca 8 1 2 5 7 13 5