Mallorca´s success making news around the world

Real Mallorca's meteoric rise from bottom-of-the-league strugglers to third place title challengers has sparked interest as far away as Latin America. Over the past two days a television crew from North and Central America's largest and most popular sports channel, ESPN, has been filming Gregorio Manzano's side for a report in their weekly Futbol Espanya programme. Yesterday the crew interviewed Mallorca's in-form Uruguayan striker Walter Pandiani and Colombian international midfielder Harold Lozano, while today they will interview Argentine midfielder Ariel Ibagaza. The programme goes out to millions of people in Latin America where La Liga matches attract as many viewers as domestic games. Despite the worldwide coverage and setting a club record of six straight victories with last week's 3-1 defeat of Alaves, it would be wise however for Mallorca not to get carried away. None of the victories has come against teams in the top seven in the league, while three of the wins have been against sides languishing in the bottom five. Against top five opposition -- Valencia and Celta - Mallorca lost both times. There is no substitute for confidence though and Mallorca will go into Sunday's match at Racing Santander in high spirits. Racing may have beaten Real Madrid earlier in the season, but they are currently in 12th position after losing at Seville last weekend and should not prove too difficult an opposition, although striker Samuel Eto'o is a doubt for the Islanders after straining a muscle in training yesterday. With 17th placed Villarreal visitors to the Son Moix the week after it is not out of the question that Mallorca gain eight consecutive victories. The team's real test comes with a mammoth pre-Christmas four match stint when they visit the 1999/2000 champions Deportivo, host European champions Real Madrid, travel to San Sebastian to face league-leaders Real Sociedad and then welcome Barcelona for the last match of the year. If Manzano's side are still winning by then, ESPN will not be the only TV crew doing a special report on Mallorca.