Aragonés' emotional comeback

By Andy Hall

There are certain inevitabilities in football. One is that should you leave your long-standing club and join another, your debut will be against your former team.

Friends reunited
Sure enough, when Luis Aragonés was appointed RCD Mallorca coach, it was predestined that his first domestic match in charge on Sunday would be against Club Atlético de Madrid, who he has been associated with since the beginning of his career. Indeed, he only stepped down as coach there in July - to be replaced by Mallorca chief Gregorio Manzano.

Twist of fate
Aragonés admits that Atlético is in his blood. It was his childhood club, and his success as a player and coach there saw him dubbed 'the Wise One'. However, the last time he coached a team against Atlético in May 2000, it ended on an unhappy note for the capital club, as Aragonés' Real Oviedo held them to a 2-2 draw that condemned them to relegation for the first time in 60 years.

Parade of honours
Still, he surely can be forgiven for that one blow against his beloved team. In his first spell in charge at Atlético he won the title in 1976/77 and has also led them to three Spanish Cups, a trophy he also won with FC Barcelona. And when he returned to Atlético in 2001 - ironically after a spell at Mallorca - he took them to a promotion that restored the Primera División status he had helped remove.

UEFA Cup win
Having also coached Real Betis Balompié, Valencia CF, RCD Espanyol and FC Sevilla in his distinguished career, there are few more experienced team chiefs than Aragonés, and he will need all his skills at the Spanish Cup holders, currently struggling in 16th place in the Primera División, although their UEFA Cup bid is still alive following a 6-3 aggregate win against Cypriot club APOEL FC.

'Cannot be sat idle'
However, he claims that his wife was the inspiration for him taking his latest job at the age of 65. "As the years roll by, I feel as though time is slipping through my fingers," he said. "And that is why I cannot be sat idle for very long. I do not enjoy it when I am not coaching and nor does my wife, she would kick me out."

Player swaps
He and Manzano were not the only ones to travel between the Vicente Calderón and Son Moix this year. Arial Ibagaza and Alvaro Novo moved along with Manzano to Atlético this summer, while Fernando Correa, Gonzalo Colsa, Jovan Stankovic and Txomin Nagore all preceded Aragonés in joining Mallorca.

Focused on victory
Despite all the moves, though, both coaches are focused on victory this Sunday. Sunday. "To say that this match has an irresistible appeal would be an understatement," said Aragonés. "I just hope that Mallorca win and Atlético win the remainder of their matches." Meanwhile, Manzano, whose team are struggling in the bottom three, said: "It does not make any difference whether Mallorca come with Luis or anyone else, the only thing on my mind is my team."