RCD Mallorca celebrated this Tuesday, in the Tramuntana Room at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, the event commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Club’s current ownership, led by president Andy Kohlberg. The occasion forms part of the activities marking the entity’s 110th anniversary.
The event was attended by around 200 people. Among them were RCD Mallorca’s Corporate CEO, Alfonso Díaz, who opened the ceremony; the Balearic Government’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Jaume Bauzá; Palma’s Director General of Sports, David Salom; the Balearic Government’s Director General of Sports, Joan Toni Ramonell; the Island Minister of Tourism, Guillem Ginard; the manager of the Balearic Sports Foundation, Eladi Huertas; the president of the Balearic Islands Football Federation, Jordi Horrach; and the former president of that institution, Miquel Bestard.
Also in attendance were first-team head coach Jagoba Arrasate and his coaching staff, as well as the five captains—Antonio Raíllo, Martin Valjent, Abdón Prats, Sergi Darder and Manu Morlanes—representing the squad.
“I am even more excited about the next ten years”
The RCD Mallorca president explained that in 2016 the Club embarked on a journey that “has not always been easy,” but in which “progress has been constant,” all with “a clear idea”: that “Real Mallorca had to reinvent itself to believe in itself again.” Kohlberg also took stock of what has been achieved over these years: sporting promotions, the current run of five consecutive seasons in the First Division, the renovation of a stadium that is one of the few zero-waste venues in Europe, the growth of the fan base, and the financial sustainability achieved.
However, he stressed that “numbers don’t tell the whole story.” “The real story is resilience and perseverance. Overcoming relegation battles. Surviving a global pandemic. Competing against clubs with budgets ten times larger than ours, without ever losing our fighting spirit or our identity. We have made mistakes. We have suffered—a lot—we have celebrated and we have learned. But we have never lost sight of who we are or who we represent. This club is its fans, its history, its island. Our responsibility is to protect it and make it stronger every day. Today, I am proud of these last ten years. But I am even more excited about the next ten years, because we still have ambition, hunger, and a solid foundation to keep growing,” said the American in his speech.
Emotional video and words from Kerr, Nash and Holden
During the event, a very emotional video was shown, summarizing the key milestones of the past decade—both positive and negative—and including messages from the four RCD Mallorca shareholders. Steve Kerr expressed his hope that “the club can continue to grow and be a source of pride for the whole island,” while Steve Nash described this period as “10 years of learning,” during which they have been part of “a community that has made us very humble.” For his part, Stuart Holden looked to the future: “The excitement is not limited to the last 10 years, but also to the 10 years to come.”
In addition, Mallorcan singer Maria Hein added to the atmosphere by performing the songs ‘La Dama de Mallorca’ and ‘Creu d’or’. Another local artist, Caterina Ross, was responsible for singing the RCD Mallorca anthem.
