We have two sons who are both working hard to climb the football ladder. Our eldest, Jacob, at 19 years old, is starting on the path to becoming a coach. He has been working at the Borussia Dortmund International Academy Mallorca for a couple of years, running various training sessions. This year, however, he will be coaching his own team while studying for a UEFA C licence and completing his education with an FP Superior in Sport.
Our youngest, Jude, at 16 years old, has his sights set on becoming a professional goalkeeper. He is playing at the second-highest level of youth football with Palma FC while studying for an FP in Sport, just like his brother.
Both realise that they are on a difficult path, as very few actually make it, which is why their studies become so important.
Footballers who do make it enter a life that most of us can only dream of. Whilst most behave in a manner befitting their standing, unfortunately there are some who don’t. Several cases have come to light this season, both here in Mallorca and back in the Premier League.
Dani Rodríguez is a player I admire at Real Mallorca. He has been at the club since January 2018 and always gives 100%. However, a couple of weeks ago he let himself down. He was suspended by the club after publicly criticising the club and coach on social media following a loss to Real Madrid. He was frustrated at not being brought into the game—especially as his family was watching—and questioned the value of loyalty and hard work in the dressing room. The club responded by suspending him for 10 days without pay and permanently removing him as vice-captain.
I hope he can train his way back into the team, whether under the current coach or another one (that’s for another day!).
Players thinking they are above the law are becoming more and more common. The case of Alexander Isak is probably the biggest one this summer. He refused to play for his parent club, Newcastle, while still under contract, in an attempt to force a move to Liverpool, who had submitted a bid for him. On the other hand, you have a club like Chelsea, who have sidelined two of their squad players—Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi—making them train in the evenings, away from the first-team squad. The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has become involved, reminding Chelsea of their duty of care.
But where were the PFA in the case of Isak, telling him he should fulfil his contractual obligations? You heard nothing from them. Yet when it comes to a player like Sterling, they suddenly come out of the woodwork and get involved. I am sure these players had opportunities to move on in the summer but, for whatever reason, chose not to. They are still being paid and have access to all the facilities provided to the first team. In Sterling’s case, he is still earning £325,000 a week! On that amount of money, I’d be training all day, all night, and twice on Wednesdays! I’m sorry, but the “duty of care” argument in this case doesn’t wash with me.
We have taught our sons to be respectful to others, and we hope that if either—or both—of them make it into the big wide world of football, they continue in that vein. As the old saying goes: be nice to the people on your way up, because you might well meet them on your way back down!
This weekend sees the return of La Liga here in Spain, and for fans of Real Mallorca, it’s another season where the first aim is to avoid the drop. Having finished in a very impressive 10th place last year, you’d think relegation wouldn’t be on our minds—but we all know Mallorca too well. This season will be their fifth consecutive one in La Liga, and the growth in interest in the club has been enormous. Since their promotion in the 2020/21 season, they have gone from 14,471 season ticket holders to 23,044 this season.
You cannot help but applaud the American owners for what they have done since buying the club in 2016. One sticking point in the sale of the club, however, was that the ownership of the stadium is not directly tied to the club’s ownership structure. While RCD Mallorca has a long-term agreement to use the stadium, the facility is owned by the local government, specifically the Consell de Mallorca. The club has a 50-year agreement with the city council to use the stadium, which they have occupied since 1999.
Where I think the Americans have been very clever is in getting their stadium improvements approved by the government in return for agreeing to open the stadium year-round. Both parties are working together to ensure it is not just a football venue but a place that serves the local community throughout the year. The broader aim is to increase the stadium’s accessibility and utility for residents of Mallorca, promoting it as a place for recreation, events, and social interaction.
Last month I had a tour of the stadium to see the improvements and to learn about how the La Liga salary cap works and how they manage ticketing. They had just finished a series of outdoor concerts on the pitch, which was being dug up and replaced. At that point, you would have thought it impossible to host La Liga matches just a month later.
The stadium is very impressive these days. With the running track gone, fans are much closer to the pitch, making the atmosphere far more intense. But it’s also behind the scenes where you notice the biggest changes. They have gone all-in on corporate hospitality, adding a tunnel experience, private boxes, and various lounges where you can enjoy food and drink both before and after the game. While I was there, stadium tours were running, the Mallorca Sports Bar was open, and a new sports clinic had just launched. The club shop has been transformed into a state-of-the-art space that does a roaring trade, not only on match days. Conference facilities of various sizes are now available around the stadium.
Every one of these extras contributes to how the salary cap is calculated for the club. La Liga’s salary cap, known as the Squad Cost Limit, restricts how much clubs can spend on player and staff wages, amortised transfer fees, and other related expenses. This limit is determined by each club’s projected revenue and expenses for the season, including debt repayment and overheads. So, all this investment ultimately supports the entire playing structure of the club, from the first team right down to the youth levels.
There’s little to criticise the owners for, but one thing I don’t understand is why the club doesn’t yet have a women’s team. You’d think that with Spain and the USA ranked number 1 and 2 in the world, respectively, they would. The other professional team on the island, Atlético Baleares, does have one, and they play in the second tier of women’s Spanish football.
Mallorca has produced outstanding women’s talent. Three players from the island were in Spain’s national team at the European Championships: goalkeeper Cata Coll from Pòrtol, midfielder Patri Guijarro from Palma, and forward Mariona Caldentey from Felanitx. All three started in the final against England. So, the talent is definitely here.
I’m hearing that Mallorca will finally launch a women’s team ahead of the 2025/26 season. It will initially compete in the Alevín eight-a-side category, for players aged 10 and 11. The club has emphasised a long-term commitment to the women’s programme, ensuring it will be a serious project with dedicated staff and resources.
Prior to this launch, the club focused on stabilising the men’s team and building a solid foundation for growth. The women’s team will be fully integrated into the club’s football structure, with shared facilities and staff. Hopefully, that will evolve into a full programme for women, giving girls on the island the chance to pursue their dreams here rather than having to go elsewhere.
The wait is over for the first team—and tonight they face the small matter of current La Liga champions Barcelona in their opening match.
Probably one of the biggest things to happen in youth football here in Mallorca for a very long time was announced 2 weeks ago — and I was lucky enough to be there.
Many of you on the island will know Rob Croll and his very successful Russell Martin Academy, which is named after his foster brother — the former footballer, Southampton Manager, and now the Rangers Head Coach. What you might not know is that Rob also runs the football club Sporting Son Ferrer and Mallorca Pro Training. So, he’s a busy man. But before I tell you more about the announcement, let’s find out a little more about Rob.
Born and raised in Brighton, where he went to school and college, Rob realised at that time that he wasn’t going to make it as a professional footballer. He went on to study sports and marketing at university in Southampton. He did some coaching in the UK and the USA and then spoke to his foster brother, Russ, about starting his own academy. The Russell Martin Academy was already an established brand in the UK, and Rob thought it would be a good idea to bring it to Mallorca, where he’d put down roots since moving in 2011.
In the winter of 2018, he began the Academy. He admits the first three months were difficult and that he wondered if it was all worth it. But after offering free football coaching sessions for local schools, things started to kick off (excuse the pun!). He began to be the go-to academy for non-federated kids to learn the technical side of football.
The pandemic was a crushing blow to most small businesses, and Rob was unfortunately no exception. But he managed to build it back up. Being a non-federated player means you don’t play as a team, as you’re not permitted to — but as the academy grew, the need for a team became greater. Around that time, he was playing for a team called Sporting Son Ferrer and was offered the chance to take it over. This gave him the ability to start building teams and retain players who would previously have left to play competitive football elsewhere.
They went from one to two teams in the first and second seasons and gradually grew. Last season, they had six teams — and the hope is that next season this will become ten.
Now, back to the big announcement.
I was invited to the Sporting Son Ferrer trophy presentation night at Oceans Beach Club. My eldest son, Jacob, has been coaching there for a year, and I’ve also been doing some work with Rob through Mallorca Pro Training. It was announced that Sporting Son Ferrer had signed a partnership deal with the German side Borussia Dortmund! From now on, it will be known as Club de Fútbol Borussia Dortmund International Academy Mallorca.
This is something Rob had been working on for months, and after visiting all their facilities in Germany, a deal was agreed. It is an unbelievable opportunity for Rob — but I also believe it’s a great coup for Calvià and the island of Mallorca to be linked with such a prestigious club.
Borussia Dortmund has partnered with youth programs and established academies in 16 countries, including Germany, Japan, Poland, and the USA. In the US alone, they have multiple locations, including Florida, Texas, Washington, Arizona, and Louisiana. They also have five academies in China.
Dortmund sent over two representatives for the presentation. One was Roman Weidenfeller, a goalkeeper and club legend, who made 453 appearances for Dortmund between 2002 and 2018. He won two Bundesliga titles and two German Cups with the club. He is highly regarded for his loyalty and dedication to BVB and now serves as a brand ambassador.
Christian Diercks, Head of the BVB Evonik Football Academy, also attended. He explained that their football philosophy remains the same wherever they are in the world:
• Embrace and create the training environment and attitude of the finest quality that produces real opportunities for players to reach their potential
• Understand and replicate the methodology and training focus needed at the highest levels
• Demand excellence and quality in all aspects of the game
• Create professional pathways for our players at different age levels
• Offer the opportunity for players to be identified early in their career and then monitored for progression year to year by coaches from Borussia Dortmund’s academy
• Develop coaches to their highest potential with exchange and learning opportunities
• Implement playing style and player milestones like the professional environment
• Use resources directly from the academy
• Represent nationally the Borussia Dortmund brand, the club’s history, and its outstanding reputation for player development
Rob stresses that although this partnership has moved the club to another level, the pathway for players doesn’t change. He adds, “Whilst we are aligned with a professional brand now, it’s still football for all. From the very first day that we started RMA and moved on to Sporting Son Ferrer to today, it’s always been about football for all. I don’t want anybody to think that they’re not good enough for this club.”
On a personal note, I look forward to seeing my son Jacob begin his coaching career at the club — and also to witnessing the impact this partnership will have on the future of youth football here on the island.
If you are interested in your child joining the club, please contact Rob on 0034 691 173 265.
The saying “the best business ideas come from…” has been heard many times. Some ideas come from personal experiences—problems observed in your own day-to-day life. Others stem from a passion or hobby, where you’re leveraging your own knowledge and experience.
I would say mine came from a combination of both. I’ve mentioned on here before that, after working for 30 years at Pirates in Mallorca and wanting to continue living on this beautiful island, I needed to find something to do.
It was a natural step for me to move into the world of concierge, considering the number of contacts I’ve acquired over the years. I was constantly being asked for a variety of things, and turning that into a business felt like the perfect progression. I knew it was key, though, to be as diverse as possible and to build a team of professional people I could trust to deliver the quality and service required for such a business.
One of those diversifications came when I was out walking my dog in Son Ferrer early one morning. I saw some footballers training on the pitch there. These guys didn’t look like ordinary players, and I recognized the people training them. When I got home, I messaged one of the trainers to ask what he was doing. He explained they were running pre-season training sessions for professional footballers who were here ahead of their own clubs’ pre-season. That trainer was Rob Croll, along with his business partner and former professional footballer Sergio Torres. They run a business called Mallorca Pro Training, which does exactly what the name suggests.
I asked Rob if he needed a goalkeeper, as my son Jude was available. He said yes, and for the next few weeks Jude gained invaluable experience training with Rob, Sergio, and the professional players.
Once all the training had finished, the football season had started, and the winter nights were closing in, Rob and I sat down and put together a plan—not only to train the players, but to look after them while they were here. Rob and Sergio focus on the training, and that’s where I came in. We now offer a full service to the players, so not only do they train while they’re here, but they also get to enjoy everything the island has to offer.
Rob and Sergio are both fully qualified coaches, offering training sessions on the 3G pitches in Son Ferrer or on the grass pitches at Real Mallorca’s training ground. They also make use of the swimming pool by the pitch in Son Ferrer and the many beaches that surround us.
You might ask: why does a footballer need to do pre-season training before their actual pre-season? Well, it’s becoming harder and harder to succeed in the football world, so players are always looking for that extra edge to stay ahead of their opponents. Proof of that definitely came with the players who trained last summer with Mallorca Pro Training:
James Maddison – Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, Europa League winner
William Osula – Striker, Newcastle United, Carabao Cup winner
Dennis Cirkin – Defender, Sunderland, promoted to the Premier League
Alex Gilbert – Charlton Athletic, promoted to the Championship
Charlie Crew – Doncaster Rovers, promoted to League One
There’s your proof that hard work pays off.
I’d also like to add that the progress my son Jude has made over the last year is undoubtedly thanks to Rob, Sergio, and the professional players he has trained and played with.
You don’t have to be a professional, by the way—many semi-pro and amateur players have also benefited from Rob and Sergio’s expertise.
If you know a footballer who would be interested in this, please get in touch.
I’ve been lucky enough in my life to experience some amazing days watching football. That includes watching my sons play, watching Real Mallorca, and of course, the team I’ve supported since I was a boy—Arsenal.
I have to say that our experience together last Wednesday night in Madrid probably tops the lot. I’ve seen Arsenal win league titles and FA Cups, but the Champions League is something that has evaded us in my lifetime. My boys, in their lifetime, have only seen an FA Cup win—we’ve been nowhere near the Champions League final. We got there in the 2005/06 season, losing to Barcelona in the final. Interestingly, that year we played Real Madrid in the last 16 and beat them 1-0 with an amazing solo goal from Thierry Henry. This was the Galácticos Madrid team of Beckham, Zidane, and Ronaldo et al., who were expected to win the competition. I was at that game too, in Madrid, but my eldest, Jacob, was only a few months old, and my youngest, Jude, hadn’t even been thought about!
Twenty years on, we were preparing to play them again—and with a 3-0 lead from the first leg, what could go wrong? I’ve always kept good contacts in my life, especially football ones, as you never know when you might need them. So when we drew Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, there was only one person I needed to ask for the away leg. Florentino Pérez, the President of Real Madrid, had been to Pirates on a couple of occasions in the past, and his daughter, Cuchy Pérez, used to come to the show every year. She sent me the price list for Madrid fans, which ranged from €125 to €450! Not a cheap night out, but we couldn’t miss it. With our residents’ 75% flight discount, the flights were pretty reasonable, and with the flight times as they were, we decided not to book a hotel.
Arriving in Madrid, we made our way to Plaza Mayor, where the majority of the Arsenal fans were congregating. It was all good fun, with the beer flowing and songs being sung—that was until the national police decided at 17:00 it was time to move everybody on. Arsenal supporters don’t have a bad reputation, but I think it’s just because we’re English that we’re treated in such a way. There was no reason given to move us along four hours before kick-off—just a whistle and some pushing. We decided to get a taxi to the stadium and ended up in an Irish bar close to the ground. The reason? You couldn’t get anywhere near the stadium because there were thousands of Madrid fans preparing a special welcome for their players’ arrival.
Once inside the stadium, we quickly realised—after climbing staircase after staircase—that our €125 ticket wasn’t going to be anywhere near the pitch. The Santiago Bernabéu is an imposing stadium, and since it’s been refurbished, it’s gone to another level. If you suffer from vertigo, you might get put off—the banking of the stands and the closing of the roof made the atmosphere electric. We were so high up we had two big screens above us just to see the game close-up.
Arsenal played just as well in the second leg as they had in the first, but Madrid were, without doubt, very disappointing. On paper, a team that contains Mbappé, Vinícius Jr, and Bellingham—to name a few—should be a frightening prospect. But they didn’t turn up in either game, if I’m honest, and you could feel the frustration among their fans.
There were a lot of Arsenal fans, like us, sitting among the Madrid fans, but without any problems. At the end, we made our way to the away end to celebrate with the rest of the supporters. We were ecstatic, and the most popular song was: “Arsenal at the Bernabéu, Tottenham watching Emmerdale!”
If, like us, you decide not to book a hotel and try to get some sleep at the airport—let me warn you—it’s not very comfortable.
We’ve decided not to go to the semi-final against PSG, either in London or Paris, but hopefully save ourselves for the final at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.
Liverpool comedian John Bishop comes to the Palma Auditorium in Mallorca on Friday, April 11th, with his 25 Years of Stand-Up tour, Back At It. I was lucky enough to catch up with John this week and have a chat with him.
RP: John Bishop, born at Mill Road Hospital, Everton, on November 30th, 1966. So, shouldn’t that make you a Blue rather than a Red?
JB: Well, that’s a very good question, and no one has ever picked up on that before. So yeah, Mill Road Hospital was the main maternity hospital in Liverpool, and as you say, it was in the Everton part of Liverpool—or at least it was. It’s not there anymore. I was born there, and we lived on that road, just a few doors down from the hospital, which was handy because my mum and dad were knocking kids out at an alarming rate!
Then we moved. The council came along and said, We’re going to knock your house down as part of this slum clearance. That really annoyed my dad because he’d just decorated it! So we moved out of Liverpool to a place called Winsford. In fact, I spent most of my life outside of Liverpool, but always in spillover towns filled with people from Liverpool.
RP: So, growing up, what did the young John Bishop want to be?
JB: Steven Gerrard. Well, actually, at the time, it would have been—I don’t know—probably Kevin Keegan. I wanted to play for Liverpool, that’s what I wanted to do. Yeah. I wanted to be a footballer, like everyone else. That’s how dreams were shaped back then. I certainly never, ever thought I’d be a comedian.
RP: You still had a pretty good career as a semi-professional footballer. You played for quite a few different clubs, and your brother Eddie was a professional footballer at Tranmere, right?
JB: Yeah, Eddie played for Chester and Tranmere. He played at a very good non-league standard, and I played at a decent standard too. The difference, though, in elite sportsmen is the same as in the entertainment industry—everyone can do something to an extent, but to get to the top, you’ve just got to have something. Some level of determination, commitment, and desire to carry on when it really gets hard.
You see that in elite sportsmen. When I’ve played in charity matches and they’re messing about—operating at maybe 30% of their normal level—I still think, God, they’re so much better!
RP: You went to Manchester University, got a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science, and became a pharmaceutical salesman. How was that?
JB: When I started doing stand-up, I was the sales and marketing director of a company that had a product I was responsible for—one that stopped people from rejecting their organs after transplants. It was the hardest thing in the world to stand up and talk about. But there were no jokes. It wasn’t like the job was in any way related to stand-up comedy.
RP: You came into comedy quite late, and your story of how you got into it is fascinating. But it wasn’t the easiest of times for you, was it?
JB: Yeah, I’d just split up with my wife, and I used to have the kids every weekend, taking them back to school or nursery on a Monday and picking them up again on Friday. That meant I was just depressed on a Monday. I was looking for something to do that night—something I could do on my own—because all my mates were bored of listening to me.
So I ended up going to a comedy club, just because I could go on my own. I was 34 and couldn’t think of anything else to do. The guy on the door said, Look, if you put your name down, it’s an open mic night, and you don’t have to pay. I didn’t even know what an open mic night was! He explained it meant I’d have to get up on stage, but because the only comedy clubs I’d ever been in had been packed, I assumed this one would be too.
So I put my name down, thinking, They’ll never get to me—there are probably 200 people in there. But when I walked in, there were only seven. Seven people, and five had already put their names down. I ended up being called up second.
The truth is, if I’d been third or fourth, I probably would have left. But I got called out second, and I was following a Geordie who just did chicken impressions. It was bizarre—I was thinking, Is this some kind of care-in-the-community thing?
I thought, There’s nothing to lose. There are only seven people here, and one of them thinks he’s a chicken! So I just did it. And after that, it became my thing. I started going every Monday, then got asked to do other nights, then weekends. It just grew and grew.
One Thursday, I got called in as a last-minute replacement, and by that point, my act had grown to be all about my divorce. Unbeknownst to me, my wife was in the audience that night—she’d been invited on a work do.
She came over to me at the end, and I just thought, Jesus, this will finalise the divorce settlement. My act is going to cost me another 20 grand. But she said, That was really funny. It was nice to see you the way I’ve always seen you—as funny. Can we do something to get back together?
That’s why comedy is so important to me.
This year marks 25 years since that first night. So much has happened since, but everything has grown out of stand-up—television, acting, all of it. I owe comedy everything.
I’ve been asked loads of times about doing a gig in Mallorca, but I always said no because I wanted to keep it separate. Mallorca has a really special place in our family. But Jimmy Carr sent me a photo of the theatre, and I thought, Oh my God, that looks just like the theatres I tour in the UK. It suddenly made sense to do a show in Mallorca, in a venue that feels right, in a place that means so much to us.
RP: Let’s finish how we started—on football. What are your thoughts on Liverpool post-Klopp? And now you’re probably nailed on to win the league what do you think of your new boss, Arne Slot?
JB: I mean, it’s been a fantastic first season. Jurgen left behind a great squad but also a great legacy as a person. He really got Liverpool—the city, the people, the culture. He galvanized the club just when it needed it most.
No one expected what’s happened this season. Jurgen’s personality is so imprinted on the club that whoever followed him couldn’t come in with a big ego—it just wouldn’t have worked. But Arne Slot slipped into the slipstream perfectly. You can tell how confident he is in himself because he didn’t rush out and buy loads of players. He just took his time, respected the squad Jurgen built, and figured it out.
RP: Do you begrudge Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving Liverpool for Real Madrid?
JB: Absolutely not. Trent goes with everyone’s blessing. I guarantee he’ll get an amazing reception because he owes the club nothing.
At a club like Liverpool, if you give everything, the fans give you everything back. It was the same with Jurgen—when he decided to leave, everyone just… accepted it.
I actually got to interview him at the Liverpool Arena in front of 10,000 fans. The warmth in the room, the gratitude—it was overwhelming. And I think the fans will feel the same way about Trent.
RP: John, I appreciate your time. I know you’re really busy.
JB: No problem—I just want everyone to know this is happening.
John is performing Back At It on Friday, April 11th, at the Palma Auditorium. Get your tickets at www.johnbishoponline.com
A few weeks ago, Real Mallorca started their season with a creditable 1-1 draw with Real Madrid. At the time, I wrote, “There’s always a sense of excitement and nervousness when a new football season starts. How will your team play, where will they finish the season, and will they win a trophy? These are three of the most important questions in most fans minds.” Now having been a Mallorca fan for many years, my expectations, to be honest, weren’t that high. Last season we finished 15th in the league, but we had made the Copa del Rey final, losing on penalties to Atlético Bilbao. More importantly, we had replaced our very cautious and defensive coach Javier Aguirre with a fairly unknown one in Jagoba Arrasate. He was in charge at Osasuna for six years, and they had become a solid mid-table team and two years ago finished in 7th place. What Arrasate was known for was encouraging youth team players to push for first team places, and he wasn’t afraid to throw them in.
After the Madrid game, things got a little worse for Mallorca, an encouraging away win at Leganés was followed by two losses and a draw. So after 5 games they had 5 points.
At that time of the Madrid game I had commented on how well the American owners had done in improving the stadium, its facilities and the atmosphere. I was hoping that all that hard work would also transfer onto the pitch. But it wasn’t happening. It looked like Arrasate was searching for his best 11 as he was constantly changing the team, even the goalkeepers. What he was doing though was giving the youngsters a chance. Marc Domenech who 2 years ago was playing with my son Jacob at San Francisco in Palma, was one of the first and encouragingly more are now coming through. Whilst this was all welcome, points on the board were what Mallorca was missing, and it was looking like it was going to be another relegation battle. However, in the space of three games, they have all of a sudden woken up. A battling 1-0 home win against Real Sociedad has been followed by what can only be described as two amazing 1-2 away wins against Real Betis and Valladolid. Bearing in mind that they only won two away games in the whole of last season, and already they have three this season. As they had played Valladolid on the Friday night it meant that for at least 24 hours they were lying in a Champions League place, with Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid and Barcelona above them. That did change over the weekend, and now they lie in sixth place. Today they play another away game at Espanyol, so let’s hope they can continue this run of good form. It’s a great start and has the fans dreaming of Europe next season but let’s not get too excited we are only 8 games into a 38 game season.
The Euros started last night in Germany, in the group stages they’ll be 3 games each day which to any football aficionado is heaven. So here’s my definitive rundown of the winners and losers and who might surprise a few people.
Firstly, the partisan bookies have England surprisingly as favourites even after that friendly defeat to Iceland. They’re closely followed by France, Germany and then come Portugal, Spain and Italy. I’ll let you know my pick at the end, and I promise that all this was written before last night’s game.
Group A: Germany, Hungary, Scotland, Switzerland
Germany as the hosts are one to look out for. But are they the team of years gone by and are they undercooked as they haven’t played a competitive game in quite a while? For me, they have enough to get through the group and if the crowd gets behind them, they should be one to watch. The Hungarians are the dark horses, remember they gubbed England 4-0 in the Nations League not long ago. Scotland have done extremely well just to qualify and will have great support from the Tartan Army. However, injuries to key players may have ruined their chances of qualifying. Switzerland are an ageing team, which could work for or against them.
Group B: Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania
This is the so-called group of death. Spain has a good mix of young and old, normally slow starters, they may grow into the tournament. The Italians are the holders, of course, after beating England in the final. Since then, though, they’ve had managerial turmoil and only just scraped through qualifying. Croatia are another team mixed with young and old and were the 2018 World Cup finalists. Albanian are competing in only their second ever Euros. They won their qualifying group and could cause a surprise.
Group C: England, Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia
What team wouldn’t want Kane, Bellingham, Rice, Foden and Saka in their starting eleven? England’s problem though will be in defence, it may be a case of you score four, we’ll score five. Serbia’s goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic plays for my local club Real Mallorca, and they could be a surprise in this group. Denmark, of course, were surprise winners back in 1992, but not sure if they have enough this time round. Slovenia are definitely the outsiders in this group, and It will be their first major tournament in 14 years, following the 2010 World Cup.
Group D: France, Poland, Netherlands, Austria
France are in most people’s eyes the favourites, and any team that contains Kylian Mbappé will have a chance. Poland, who have not missed a European championship since making their debut in 2008, will look to get through the group stage for a second time after reaching the quarter-finals in 2016. The Netherlands are the team with the most third place finishes in the Euros, another team that could go deep into the competition. Austria, have played only10 games at the European Championships, having featured in three previous editions of the tournament, reaching the last 16 once at Euro 2020.
Group E: Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Ukraine
Not much has been said about Belgium as they’ve disappointed with such a good team in so many previous tournaments. If I was a betting man (which I’m not) then I would have a wager on them. I’m sure many people would love to see Ukraine do well because of their current situation, but I think they’ll do well to get out of the group. Romania, who will play in their sixth European Championship, were a surprise package in the qualifiers, remaining unbeaten and topping their group, above Switzerland. Slovakia will play at their third consecutive European Championship and may struggle to reach the knockout stages after failing to do so at the last tournament.
Group F: Portugal, Turkey, Czech Republic, Georgia
It’s Cristiano Ronaldo’s last ever tournament, so will they send him out on a high? They are playing in their eighth consecutive Euros after securing qualification with a 100 percent winning record in their group. The Czech Republic will hope to find some form after an uninspiring qualifying campaign in which they finished second in their group behind Albania. Turkey, who are taking part in their sixth Euros, last reached the semi-finals in 2008. Georgia are the rank outsiders. They will participate in their first major finals as an independent nation, after they secured their spot in the tournament by defeating Luxembourg and then Greece in the play-offs.
It’s great that this tournament is on terrestrial television and therefore everyone can watch the matches. My outsiders are Belgium, my heart says England, but my head says the host nation Germany.
Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com
Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi, or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com
Something that isn’t talked about enough here on the island is women’s football. I have highlighted it in the past, and it is definitely time to talk about it again.
I was watching my youngest Jude training in CD San Francisco in Palma this past week, and I met up with some friends who were bringing their daughter to do some training with the girls team there. It’s so good to see girls and women’s football thriving on the island. In fact, our other professional team on the island, Atlético Baleares are the ones leading the way.
Despite only being formed in 2018, they have made their way from local leagues to the “Primera Federación de Fútbol Femenino”, which in women’s football is equivalent to the second division. It’s an amazing achievement, and they are now only one promotion from the highest women’s league in Spain. This week, the Government held a reception for the whole team in Palma to celebrate their promotion. The women’s football pyramid in Spain is set up like this;
Primera División de fútbol femenino
Primera Federación de Fútbol Femenino
Segunda Federación de Fútbol Femenino
Tercera Federación de Fútbol Femenino
Conectabalear Femenina autonómica
Femenina Regional Mallorca
Fútbol 7 Alevin/Infantil Groups A and B
The top division contains the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. In the Primera Federación next season, Baleares will play the likes of the B teams of the big clubs. Mallorca’s next representatives are in the Tercera FDFF, UD Collerense, AD Son Sardina and the Baleares B team, who all finished in the top ten this season. The local leagues contain teams from all over the island, so there are plenty of opportunities. These are divided into women’s and girls teams. The Alevin and infantil teams can take girls up to the age of 14, and then they must take the step to the amateur women’s teams. That has been a problem as it’s quite a big step, but apparently, this coming season the Federation will add a “F7 Cadete” category for girls aged 14–16 years that are not quite ready or comfortable competing with amateurs. No matter where you are on the island, I’m sure there will be a club near you that will be looking for players. Where I live in Calvia there are two clubs with girls/women’s teams. Platges de Calvia have 1 team in Autonomica and one in Regional, as well as 2 teams in Alevin/Infantil. Sporting Son Ferrer has 1 team in Regional and 2 teams in Alevin/Infantil.
Both clubs are looking for experienced or entrance level players for the coming season for all those teams.
Now the elephant in the room here is, where is Real Mallorca in all of this? The biggest club on the island doesn’t have a female team? That’s not good enough, really, particularly when you see the success of Atletico Baleares. I would have thought that a female team would be an obligation for a team in La Liga. What I’m hearing from people in the game that may well be coming in. They have dipped their toes in a few years ago, but apparently it didn’t work due to a lack of quality and interest. That has all changed now when Spain won the World Cup last year.
As you may remember, they beat England in the Women’s World Cup Final last year. More interesting for me is that three of their players come from Mallorca. The goalkeeper Cata Coll was born in Portol. She played previously for Sant Marcel, Cide, Marratxí and Collerense here on the island and was bought by Barcelona and sent out on loan to Sevilla. She’s now back in Barcelona and, after a bad injury, is now Spain’s first choice. Whilst here on the island, she was training at the Pablo Roca goalkeeping school, where my youngest son Jude goes. She has also trained with Jude a few times too.
Forward Mariona Caldenty was born in Felanitx where she began her career. That was followed by Cide, Collerense and in 2014 she joined Barcelona.
Another player from Mallorca, Patri Guijarro, was one of the players who boycotted the Spanish squad before the last World Cup tournament. She was born in Palma where she played for UD Collerense and at the age of 17 she joined Barcelona and has been there ever since.
All three of the above played for Barcelona last weekend in the final of the Women’s Champions League, beating Lyon 2-0.
Hopefully all three will inspire more girls on the island to play football and to become World Cup and Champions League winners in the future.
Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com
Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi, or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com
Any football aficionado will tell you that a supporter that follows his or her club home and particularly away is a true supporter. Now I’m not putting myself in that bracket, but over the last few weeks I have been lucky enough to go to two of the biggest games my two clubs have played in the last few years. Two clubs? How can you support two clubs, I hear you say. Well, I’ve been an Arsenal supporter all my life, however when I moved to Mallorca I missed the opportunity to go and watch live football. I travel back for a game in London when I can, but Real Mallorca have become my adopted club. I said the other week that following them to Sevilla was a great experience, even though they lost. It was the same for me and my two boys last week when we travelled to Munich to see Arsenal play in the Champions League quarter-finals. Finding tickets was not easy, and this is when a good network of friends comes in handy. Thank you to Debbie at Inspire Sport who managed to get them for us.
My Wife said to all of us before we went, aren’t you going to take a coat? We had looked at the weather forecast, which didn’t look great, but none of us felt we needed one. Which in truth was a schoolboy error. As soon as we arrived in Munich, it was raining, which also turned to hail and sleet! We managed to find the bar that many of the Arsenal fans were in, which was right in the centre of the city. It was an Irish bar that was right opposite a huge German beer hall, so you can imagine that everyone was enjoying the German hospitality. We decided to get to the ground early as I remembered how difficult it was to get there the last time I went, and also the boys were excited to see it. The Allianz Arena is situated in the north of Munich and is one of Europe’s most striking grounds. It certainly is impressive, and the atmosphere was amazing with a crowd of 75,000. One thing I’ve noticed in European games is within the Ultra fans there always seems to a “conductor” who starts all the songs. In Munich, there were two of them orchestrating everything. It’s not something you see so much in the UK, as it’s normally someone randomly starting each chant.
You probably don’t need me to tell you the score, but two defeats in two away trips for my two teams certainly wasn’t great. But spending time with my boys and enjoying the atmosphere of the two different cities meant the results were soon forgotten about. We all agreed that going to away fixtures was actually more fun than going to home games, and it’s something that we will look to do more of in the future.
Travelling away from the island has been interesting these past few weeks. We’re lucky to get the residents discount on flights and ferries travelling interisland and to the mainland. Although it does sometimes seem that companies take advantage of this by putting up their prices. But one of the main things is how easy it is to pass through customs travelling within Europe. Apart from showing our TIE identity cards at the check-in, we would just walk through at the other end. I can’t help feeling that Brexit has ruined that form of travel for us Brits and all the hanging around we have to do now. I’ve talked before about the difficulties in employing Brits now with the freedom of movement taken away. Which then begs the question, has Brexit actually been worth it? If anyone can give me a positive, then I’m willing to listen.
Richie is the MD at Pirates, the island’s number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. Subscribe to receive his blogs at http://www.dadtaximallorca.com
Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com
Dad Taxi Mallorca 