Pablo Ortells doesn’t get star-struck easily.
As Mallorca’s Sporting Director since 2020 - and previously in the same role at Villarreal, one of Europe’s top talent factories - the 44-year-old has played a key part in unearthing soccer’s biggest stars. He helped launch the career of 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri and facilitated lucrative sales of players such as Eric Bailly, Mateo Musacchio, and Cédric Bakambu during his decade at Villarreal.
But at Mallorca, that all changed with a long-distance introduction to former NBA star and Basketball Hall of Famer Steve Nash.
“I joked after the call, ‘I just spoke with Steve Nash,’” Ortells told GOAL. “He’s a Hall of Famer - it was amazing.”
Though Ortells' role leaves little time to follow the NBA these days, he grew up watching the league and idolizing Nash, a two-time MVP with the Phoenix Suns. Nash is just one of several high-profile figures involved with Mallorca. The club’s ownership group includes four-time NBA champion coach Steve Kerr, former U.S. men’s national team star and current soccer broadcaster Stu Holden, and Suns part-owner Andy Kohlberg, a former tennis pro who serves as Mallorca’s majority owner.
For years, Mallorca struggled with instability, bouncing between La Liga and the second division. But after a turbulent decade, the club is starting to make waves among Spain’s elite. Last season they reached the Copa del Rey final, falling in a heartbreaking penalty shootout to Athletic. Now, they sit eighth in La Liga, two points adrift from sixth-placed Rayo Vallecano for the final European qualification spot.
In a league dominated by financial giants such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid - with reported payrolls of $273 million, $201 million, and $136 million, respectively - Mallorca's success is all the more remarkable given their modest budget. Their reported collective payroll of $23.5 million ranks just above La Liga’s bottom five in spending.
“We’ve got to do what’s best for us,” Kohlberg told GOAL. “It’s not realistic [to compete financially with the big three]. Their budgets are 10 times what ours are. The frontline [players] of Real Madrid probably make more than our entire team.”
Competing against much larger teams with vast resources - and doing so in a locale known more for its pristine beaches than being a footballing hotbed - how have Mallorca cut through? Ortells attributes much of the success to the mentality of his North American colleagues.
"That vision they have of the sport helps a lot at the time to make decisions, in particular in football and in a football club," he explained. "So we are very happy with that mentality they have. And also they have been winners in their sports, so they have been top athletes, and that's the mentality we want to build here - a winning mentality."
As Mallorca continue to defy expectations, what's the driving force behind the resurgence? GOAL takes a look.
