Real Mallorca have started pre-season for their campaign in the Segunda División, with a new coach, a squad in transition and a high-profile friendly against Paris Saint-Germain on the calendar.
A new coach
Luis García was presented to the media this week. He said the club needed to play with passion, energy and enthusiasm, and warned that it would be a very demanding season, one the club would have to face together. He also cautioned that the second division is unpredictable: anyone can beat anyone, and promotion is not won in October or February.
Comings and goings
More players have left or are expected to leave than have committed to staying, and the club is rebuilding around a core of players who want to help it return to LaLiga.
The first signings are:
- Adrián Fuentes, a 29-year-old striker who joins from Córdoba after scoring 14 goals last season;
- Arnau Puigmal, 25, who arrives on a free transfer from Almería on a three-year contract. He can play at full-back or on the wing, came through Espanyol’s academy and spent time at Manchester United before returning to Spain in 2021. He will join up once Almería’s play-off commitments are over.
The club is also reported to be working on loan deals, including a possible return for the Angolan forward Zito Luvumbo, who was popular with fans during a previous loan spell, and the young French centre-back Aboubaka Soumahoro from Hamburg.
Pre-season fixtures
| Date | Fixture |
|---|---|
| 18 July | Mallorca v Mallorca B |
| 24–30 July | Training camp in Marbella, with two friendlies |
| 5 August, 8pm | Trofeu Ciutat de Palma v Paris Saint-Germain |
The 48th Trofeu Ciutat de Palma brings the Champions League winners to Son Moix, although many of PSG’s World Cup players are expected to still be on holiday. Former Mallorca favourite Kang-in Lee, who has been linked with a move away from Paris, may not feature.
Season tickets
The club’s season-ticket campaign has had a slow start, with 5,873 renewals so far — a long way short of last season’s record of 23,060. Many supporters, unhappy with the prices after relegation, say they want to see how the squad takes shape before committing.
Mallorca’s challenge is to rebuild quickly enough to compete for promotion in one of the most unpredictable leagues in Europe.
