On Sunday, RCD Mallorca won the La Liga promotion playoff, earning promotion from the third division to the top Spanish league in back-to-back years.
A rather sizable group of soccer media members serve as Mallorca investors and board members following Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver’s purchase of the team back in 2016. Fox and Turner Sports analyst Stu Holden and NBCSN analyst Kyle Martino are investors, while Turner’s Steve Nash and NBC’s Graeme Le Saux sit on the club’s board of directors.
Holden and Nash had plenty of fun celebrating their achievement this weekend, including spraying champagne at each other. A little while later, Holden continued his celebration and freaked out Kate Abdo in the Fox Sports studio.
Live TV… in the zone… DESTROYED. @stuholden pic.twitter.com/aChi6tY7Aa
— Kate Abdo (@kate_abdo) June 24, 2019
We’ll give credit to Abdo here for not losing it and swearing at Holden on live TV, because given the surprise, that would have been completely justified.
Mallorca earning promotion to La Liga has been the culmination of a process since this ownership group took over three years ago. A team who finished third in La Liga in 2001, Mallorca fell on hard times and sunk to the third division for the first time since 1981 during their second full season in charge.
After that tumultuous season, they righted the ship and won Segunda Division B in 2018. In their return to the Segunda Division, Mallorca finished fifth and sat third in the four team promotion playoff. But after beating Deportivo La Coruna in the final, Mallorca is back.
The goal for Mallorca this coming season is to remain in La Liga and not be relegated right back to the second tier. It’s too early to suggest that Mallorca will soon get to a point where they reach the Champions League, but it would create an interesting dilemma for Turner, given the investments of Holden and Nash. However, if that happens, Kate Abdo better be prepared.
