After a week when the top five weird business names in the UK for 2025 were announced – (1) Ladies hairdressers “Crops and Bobbers”; (2) Cakeshop “Donut Disturb”; (3) Builders “Bodget and Scarper”; (4) Greengrocer “Melon-Caulia”; (5) Window cleaners “Mister Bit”! – Real Mallorca restart their season after the last international break of the year with a tricky away game at third-placed Villareal tomorrow night (Saturday, November 22) at 9pm. In normal circumstances I wouldn’t give the Palma side much of a chance as, on paper, the visitors are a much better team than us. However, there is some optimism as on Tuesday Villareal face Dortmund in Germany in the Champions League. The competition table shows them with just one point, so there’s a possibility they may not be up for a battle against us just three days beforehand!
After Saturday’s game (Mallorca’s first time live on Disney+ this season), we play teams round about us with the vast majority focusing on avoiding relegation. The first direct challenger will be our coach Arrasate’s former club Osasuna in Son Moix on Saturday 29th at 2pm. Osasuna have only managed one point away from home and lie in 16th place, one position and one point behind us, which makes this game – crucial.
On the first weekend of December, after a stop in Soria for a second round cup match against Numancia, the second stop on the journey is at the Carlos Tartiere stadium, home of bottom-of-the-table Oviedo who desperately need points with just eight so far this season. On Saturday December 13, Elche will visit Son Moix. The Alicante-based side were a revelation a few weeks ago but now have managed two points out of a possible 15 and three points above Mallorca. Then it’s the last game before the Christmas break away at struggling Valencia. The season restarts around January 4 when Girona come to town.
Most of the five players who’ve been away on international duty have returned. Last back was Mojica who played for Colombia in a friendly against Australia in New York. Vedat Muriqi’s beloved Kosovo made history when they reached the World Cup play offs after drawing 1-1 with the Swiss. Kosovo now go into Pot 3 with Ireland, Albania and Bosnia/Herzegovina. These games will be played next March with Kosovo hunting a first appearance at a World Cup. It’s a country Spain still don’t recognise – meaning Muriqi uses his Albanian passport.
Jan Virgili had a spectacular debut for Spain’s Under 21 side when they beat San Marino 7-0. A brace against San Marino (the first an absolute worldy) went viral. In the 19th minute he received the ball out wide on the left, feinted past his marker on his preferred side and curled a wicked shot that dipped under the crossbar. The crowd (in Lugo) were off their seats every time Virgili went on the charge and was well worth the price of admission. He’s quickly become the fans’ favourite and his wonder goal on Tuesday has put him firmly on the map of Spanish football. His displays inspire optimism but it also makes for apprehension. The better he plays, the more chance one of the big boys will snap him up as his media spotlight shines more brightly. In an interview last week the youngster said “At Barcelona it was very difficult to have opportunities.” He admitted he hopes to return to Barcelona in the future and he believes that he is able to do so, as long as he keeps delivering for Real Mallorca. We paid 3.5 million euros for 50% of his rights with Barça retaining the other 50% with a right of first refusal.
Ex Real Mallorca managaer Hector Cuper
This past week (on Tuesday) saw the 70th birthday of the best manager Mallorca’s ever had, Argentinian Hector Raul Cuper. He arrived as an unknown from Lanus in Argentina in 1997 and almost from nothing built a team that was the sensation of La Liga. His story of resounding success in his first year, was followed by suffering in the second. Later, he made a return in 2004, and he was honest enough to walk away when he was unable to rectify a poor situation he had inherited.
In the Summer of 1997, our late president Bartolome Beltran from Campanet opted for this young coach, barely 41 years old, who promised to make Real Mallorca play “with a lot of order.” After bringing in seven players, Mallorca finished the season in fifth place which meant qualification for the Champions League. We also reached the Copa del Rey final in Valencia against Barcelona. I was at that game, a real nerve-shredder. We were down to 10 men in extra time before losing 5-4 on penalties. In Cuper’s second spell we finished third, our best classification ever, made all the more remarkable when two years earlier we were in the second division.
In 1999 we reached the last ever European Cup Winners Cup final after eliminating Chelsea in the semis. We faced Italian giants Lazio who were simply better than us, losing to them 2-1. Towards the end of the 1999 season Cuper left for Valencia where they reached two Champions League finals. Since then, Cuper has coached from Georgia to Syria but his relationship with Los Bermellones is as strong as ever. Feliz Cumpleaños, Don Hector!
AND FINALLY, I must admit to not being a huge fan of Scottish football, but what the national side did on Tuesday night verges on the unbelievable. It was a night of high drama which sent us Jocks all over the world into dreamland and unbridled joy. This win saw Scotland reach the World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years. There’s bound to be a mass exodus of the Tartan Army as thousands of their foot soldiers head across the Atlantic and take the USA, Canada and even Mexico (all of which are hosting the competition) by storm. Who knows, they may even release the Andy Stewart song “Donald where’s your troosers” again? This time the song could be dedicated to the US president with a different title such as “DONALD WHERE’S YOUR BOOZERS”!!