Mallorca Back In Business

Wild celebrations as Balearics club returns to the Spanish top flight

Sometimes it’s good to dip a toe into other people’s football passion. On the night of Sunday June 23, the Balearic island of Mallorca was wrapped up in the biggest party it had known. But for once it was the locals, not the holidaymakers, who were letting their hair down.

Just being a tourist in Palma that night, after RCD Mallorca had clinched their return to Spain’s top flight after six years in the wilderness, meant that sharing in the joy was a privilege.

Over at the Estadi de Son Moix, a 23,000 full house – some of who had paid hundreds of euros on the black market to get a ticket – exploded into colour and celebration. The 3-0 defeat of Deportivo La Coruna in the Segunda Division play-off dramatically erased the 2-0 defeat for Vincente Moreno’s side in Galicia three nights earlier and sealed a remarkable promotion.

With that Monday being a public holiday in Mallorca, there was plenty of time for the hangover to wear off and still make the two civic receptions for Moreno and his players: one at the town hall in the afternoon, the other at night on Palma’s historic Plaza de las Tortugas in front of thousands of Mallorca fans – and the odd Scottish tourist.