Real Mallorca´s on field struggles are troubling the fans but not so much as the undercurrents swirling around the club. The two goalkeepers Greif and Leo Roman have both made it clear that each of them wants to be the first choice next season meaning one will have to leave in the summer. There have been no announcements from the club which has led to much speculation.
Additionally central defender Copete has indicated that he will not sign the new contract that is on offer to replace his existing deal which expires at the end of next season. He is often picked in away matches as a three man central defence but doesn’t start in the home matches and he is looking for a move to secure regular first-team football elsewhere. With captain Antonio Raillo and Martin Valjent, both fixtures and legends in the side, it seems his departure is inevitable.
Midfielder Samu Costa is reportedly making critical comments about head coach Arrasate´s tactics.
More worryingly the fans group Moviment Mallorca issued a statement denouncing “the club’s lack of ambition” and lamenting the fact that “Mallorquinista fans are more apathetic and less motivated than ever.” “The key to sustaining a football club is knowing how to take care of its fans and foster a sense of belonging,” “The club shows no ambition to take a step forward; on the contrary, it has fostered a cold and tense atmosphere.”
One of the biggest concerns is the growing lack of enthusiasm among many Mallorca fans about attending every match at Son Moix. The cheapest ticket to take a friend or family member to the Mallorca-Valladolid match was 80 euros. “A large segment of the Mallorca fans are loyal, unconditional, and have always been there—and will continue to be—but one of the main problems of the club’s current management is forgetting that this sentiment must be nurtured and encouraged. A reflection of this problem has been the management and this season’s membership campaign: a campaign that, despite reaching record numbers, has been a disaster for fans. Finally, we want to denounce the events that occurred at the end of the Girona-Mallorca match. Disrespect of any kind cannot be tolerated, and we want to condemn all parties involved” – more on this later.
On Monday the 5th of May the team travelled to lowly Girona with a perfect opportunity to win and restore the hopes of European football next season. It turned out to be a complete shambles with only one shot on goal. Girona took the lead early on and never looked like releasing their grip on the three points in their bid to stay in La Liga. At the end of the game the Mallorca players went to applaud the travelling fans who responded with catcalls and boos. It transpired that death threats were sent to some players after the game which is deplorable to say the least.
The following Sunday, Mallorca were at home to already relegated Valladolid. True to form they struggled against inferior opposition. The visitors took the lead in the 11th minute when Chuki arrived at the back post to tap home winger Raul Moro’s pass. Many clubs including the Islanders are looking at the speedy Moro for next year.
Valladolid continued to press and forced Greif into a number of saves. They had seven shots on goal against only four from Mallorca in the final match statistics. However on the 28th minute Omar Mascarell scored his first goal for Mallorca after a great pass from Maffeo. After the break, Valladolid went behind in the 49th minute after brilliant work from the Japanese player Takumo Asano who found Sergi Darder who made no mistake from distance. Valladolid thought they had equalised but Cenk’s effort was disallowed for offside. The celebrations following this VAR decision both on and off the pitch reflected on how desperate everyone was for a win. The attendance was 16,018 which is the third lowest this season and another example of the apathy surrounding the club.
On Wednesday the 14th of May, Mallorca travelled to face Real Madrid. An unlikely away win would be enough for Barcelona to be crowned champions of La Liga. Arrasate picked a five man defence as he normally does for away games. Leo Roman was selected in goal and a curious statistic emerged concerning the Ibiza born shot stopper. He has started seven games this season and each one has been on a weekday – never at the weekend. The current champions had a lengthy injury list but were able to call on the likes of Bellingham, Modric, Mbappe and Endrick. Roman was quickly in the thick of the action with three fine saves. However on the 11th minute Valjent found himself in acres of space and smashed home the opening goal to stun the crowd in the Bernabeu stadium. From then on Mallorca defended valiantly with Roman pulling off save after save. Inevitably it was Mbappe who equalised on the 68th minute with a brilliant individual goal. Shortly afterwards wingback Mateu Morey had a great chance to put the Islanders back in front but couldn’t find a way past Courtois in the home goal. Madrid pushed for a winner and cruelly in the last seconds of additional time Ramon stole in past a motionless Copete to score the decisive goal. The Mallorca team definitely deserved a point and surely the debate over the first choice keeper for next season has ended. Leo Roman must be given a new extended contract and receive the full backing of Arrasate.
Mallorca´s final home game this season will see Getafe as the visitors on Sunday the 18th of May with a 19.00 kick off.
The final game of the season is away at Rayo Vallecano on Sunday the 25th of May in the suburbs of Madrid. The two clubs are the main protagonists in the chase for the final European place but first of all three points against Getafe are an absolute priority.