Mallorca: The island team bringing an international flavour to La Liga

Since 2016-17, Mallorca has not had consecutive seasons in the same division.
Son Moix's freshly-made pizza is so delicious that many players stay behind after La Liga matches to share a slice of it with fans who are lucky enough to be seated at the club's VIP corner.

Andy Kohlberg, a former tennis player who is now the club's president, bakes it at 800 degrees in a portable oven using ingredients brought in from Napoli. He calls it "literally" the best pizza he's ever had.

It also serves as a microcosm for the project at Mallorca where international influences on and off the pitch helped the Balearics Club return to La Liga after a turbulent few decades.

Los Bermellones have not spent consecutive campaigns in the same division since their 2016-17 campaign, which ended with Spain's third-tier relegation.

They were in deep debt in 2016 when they were purchased by Robert Sarver and Kohlberg, who also co-own NBA side Phoenix Suns and are the owners of basketball legend Steve Nash. Graeme Le Saux, a former England international, is now on the board. The goal is to get Mallorca into the top flight.

Kohlberg told BBC Sport that it was a rollercoaster ride. It's been challenging, but we have persevered.

"It can be difficult to plan long-term when you don't know what division you will be in next year. But hopefully, we have made some progress.

"We have learned a lot along the way, and our goal is to be a top-ten team in La Liga."

The newly promoted outfit has started well, with a 1-0 win against Levante just before the international break putting them in 12th place after eight games. They are also closer to the top four than those in the drop zone.

Kohlberg is determined for a winning culture. He focuses on the club's development programme and academy, while also improving the playing team through smart acquisitions. However, he leaves the business side to the "football experts".

He says that he brings a different perspective after 17 years playing with the Suns. They reached the NBA Finals last year.

"I understand the mentality of top athletes and I can apply it to other sports. This understanding is a bit different from a businessman or pure football player.

The Visit Mallorca Stadium is now the San Moix Home in Mallorca

Fan engagement is high with La Liga welcoming 100% attendances once again and travel restrictions being eased.

The Visit Mallorca Stadium is home to great pizza and Spain's first tunnel club - which includes a one-way, glass-wall tunnel, VIP mini-stand, and a viewing room for press conferences.

The club stated that it wanted to give more attention to Generation Z and millennials, while still having a crowd of 50% women when it was first revealed.

Kohlberg says that the key to preserving American match-going traditions is to not try to bring America's whole mentality to it.

"We have a clear strategy to address two types of fans: we have our core supporters but we also have 13,000,000 tourists who visit the island each year.

"It's about recognising the island's culture for fans who have been coming since 20 years, and preserving that experience for them. It also offers something new for people not from Mallorca."

The arrival of Takefusa Kubo from Japan, a Japanese prospect who was previously on loan from Real Madrid and also spent 2019-20 with Mallorca, has helped to attract global attention to the island's football team. La Liga is willing to promote the games and set up kick-off times that are suitable for Japanese audiences.

Mallorca produces their own content and merchandise is readily available for club's Japanese fans. In September, they were third in YouTube's most watched division behind Real Madrid and Barcelona.

This comes after the signing of another pair of 20-year-old talent with international appeal, Matthew Hoppe from America and Kang-in Lee from South Korea.

It looks great on paper, but it is also a marketing dream.

"Well, we first make a football choice. Is it the right team, are they worth the investment, and are they the right match? says Kohlberg.

"That is the dominant decision. We might be able benefit from and do similar things to what happened with Take in Japan, Kang-in Korea, or Matthew Hoppe in America. It's kind of the cherry on top. It is not the driving force.

"It's a secondary factor in our decisions, but the main decision is made by football people about whether or not they're the right match and what we want."

Matthew Hoppe, a Schalke transfer deadline day, joined Mallorca from Schalke

Kohlberg believes that the team has a mix of youth and experience, and coach Luis Garcia is willing to trust youngsters in order to preserve the club's identity.

Hoppe, a new arrival to the sport tells BBC Sport that they are open to playing young players "if they're good enough." They are willing to give them a chance, bet on them and help them move up the ladder.

"Training can be intense and the ball movement is very quick. It's a lot faster than in Germany. It's much faster.

"He is a coach who loves to keep the ball and dominates the game. He also has a plan for the forwards. Sometimes he wants us all to run in front to exploit spaces, exploit certain defenders, or check in for ball.

Hoppe also discovered that Garcia is "hugely on your body fat percentage". This means Hoppe makes sure his players are in their best form, which means more pizza for locals.

The USA international adds that "it's a completely other culture than Germany." It's an incredible place to visit, with great food and an amazing island.

"It's certainly one of the most beautiful places in the world for playing football."