by Ryan D. Jaeger
Running a professional football team is an expensive and tough proposition, which is why so many teams run into difficulties like cash-strapped
Spanish La Liga side,
Real Mallorca, only the club was recently thrown a lifeline.
Real Mallorca, which is in debt to the tune of almost €85 million, recently applied to the courts to go into administration. However, the club will live to play another day thanks to a consortium led by former coach, Llorenc Serra Ferrer.
Serra Ferrer reportedly bought the majority shareholding in Real Mallorca from ex-boss Mateu Alemany for roughly €2 million. Alemany had been in charge of the La Liga side since 2008, and spent much of his time seeking investors.
The move represents a full circle for Serra Ferrer who started his coaching career at Mallorca in 1985, where he stayed until 1993. From then until 2008 he coached many teams including Betis, Barcelona, Betis and finally AEK Athens.
Said Serra Ferrer, 'We are taking up this option to buy [Real Mallorca]. The first thing to do is to thank all the people who have thought similarly about trying to make Real Mallorca viable in sporting, economic and social terms.'
So with the ink of the club's new ownership barely dry, Serra Ferrer will have to appoint a new coach in preparation for the upcoming La Liga season. So far one of the names being bandied about is Danish coach, Michael Laudrup.
If appointed, Laudrup will replace former head coach Gregorio Manzano, who coached Real Mallorca since 2006 and helped steer it to fifth place in La Liga last season. His contract was not renewed due to the club's financial woes.
