CA Osasuna was the first of 12 opportunities that Martín Demichelis' RCD Mallorca has ahead to secure their place in the First Division. "I expect to see a team that takes to the field to fight. I'm almost certain that's how it will be. If there's no heart, no leg, no soul, it doesn't matter what system you use to play," explained the Argentine coach in the lead-up to the match.
Expectations were high to see how the Mallorcan side would compete, and with great courage, a strong team spirit, and a tremendous display of competitiveness, they managed to take a 2-0 lead.
However, the opposing team leveled the score in the final stages, and the match ended 2-2. "When you let such a valuable result slip away on such a difficult pitch in practically the last five or ten minutes, what overshadows it is the emotion of having lost two points. But when you're calm, you can analyze the match and the whole situation, and we did a lot of things well," explains Martin Valjent, one of the team's captains. "We looked a bit gutted because going 0-2 up and ending up with a draw isn't something anyone likes.
But (Demichelis) told us he was proud of the work we had done, of how we went out to compete, and that this week we were going to correct the things he hadn't liked, but that he had liked almost everything," says Pablo Torre.
Adapting to a New Approach
Germán Lux, one of Demichelis' assistants and a former RCD Mallorca goalkeeper, speaks about the adaptation process underway between the new staff and the squad: "We have to get to know each other quickly. And the important thing is that the players are receptive. They have to grasp Martín's ideas and concepts as soon as possible."
"We're getting used to them as much as they are to us. And I think it's a lot of ball work, a lot of tactics, a lot of video analysis. Personally, I really like it. It's helping the team, and they're enjoying it," Torre says in this regard.
"When you're in a season where things aren't going your way, I've always believed in one thing: hard work, effort, striving to perfect even the smallest details and putting them at the service of the team. I think now every single detail is going to count, not only on the field but also off it. If we want to be a team that controls the game both offensively and defensively, finishing strong in the final minutes is going to be vital," Valjent explains.
Approaching Matches with Courage
Torre assures that the message of "12 matches, 12 opportunities" resonated immediately in the locker room: "It's true that from the very beginning he told us to forget about it for a bit, that we were going to play a 12-match league." And Lux corroborates this, indicating the necessary ingredients for achieving survival: "That's what we convey, that's the objective, and obviously we want to achieve the objective in our own way. But within those methods, there are things that are non-negotiable, things that are fundamental: the courage to start, the courage to press, the courage to have the ball and be the protagonists with it. At least since I've been with Martín, I don't know any other way to interpret or understand and support his methodology."
"Courage is going to be a very important word. Being courageous in every moment of the match, I think, can make the difference," Valjent adds.
Lux and his relationship with Demichelis and Mallorca
"We were both football players. That's important because we have a dressing room. I've known Martín since he was little because we shared our beginnings at River and in the boarding house. We've shared so much in life, and we're happy, and we came here happy," Lux says about his relationship with Demichelis.
The former Mallorca goalkeeper also values the fact that he knows the club from his time there: "Obviously, that's an added advantage. I was there for four years; I know the institution. From afar, I followed the relegation and the promotion. I'm happy to be back on the island and at the club, trying to contribute from my position, help out, and continue learning from this coaching staff. And together, we can achieve our goals, which is what we want, and that's how it will be."
The First Home Game
Demichelis' RCD Mallorca faces its second match, the first at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix: "I'm sure we'll see a daring Mallorca, one that goes forward, pressing. And we need everyone," says Torre.
Valjent, for his part, speaks of focusing on oneself: "What the manager is conveying is that we have to concentrate on ourselves, on our work, on what we want to do, and I think that's what the whole week will be about, obviously while also paying attention to the opponent's tactics. Sunday will be a crucial match for us for many reasons."
The Unity Between Team and Fans
Finally, the Mallorca attacking midfielder praises the fans as a key factor in facing everything that lies ahead: "The fans are going to be very important; they're going to be our 12th man." Lux also emphasizes this unity: "Always working together, because when one person leaves the path, they'll be left alone. We want to be a solid group, to start building that defensive solidity and make ourselves strong."
