Malaga: From Champions League to inescapable nightmare in 10 years

Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani (left) became Malaga proprietor successful 2010

Ten years agone Malaga looked poised to go European football's latest rags-to-riches occurrence story, joining a increasing set of unfashionable clubs whose fortunes had been transformed by the accomplishment of a affluent caller owner.

This is their story, which should service arsenic different cautionary illustration that, erstwhile it comes to abrupt injections of currency from afar, fans should beryllium cautious what they privation for.

Malaga's European adventure

On 9 April 2013, Malaga were a fewer seconds - and a non-raised linesman's emblem - distant from the Champions League semi-final.

An entertaining squad managed by Manuel Pellegrini, and featuring erstwhile and aboriginal Real Madrid stars Julio Baptista and Isco, were starring 2-1 connected aggregate astatine Borussia Dortmund arsenic their quarter-final 2nd limb headed into wounded time.

But past Jurgen Klopp's squad scored doubly successful 2 minutes, with Felipe Santana's scrambled victor netted from a intelligibly offside position, to seal 1 of the astir singular comebacks successful Champions League history.

Despite that heartbreaking loss, the aboriginal inactive looked agleam for Malaga, a antecedently anonymous provincial nine that had ne'er won a large trophy.

The accomplishment of Qatari businessman Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani arsenic caller proprietor successful 2010 heralded a melodramatic transformation, with caller manager Pellegrini fixed a hefty fund successful the transportation marketplace and spending it wisely - including dense investments successful Ruud van Nistelrooy and Santi Cazorla - to unafraid 4th and sixth-placed finishes successful La Liga.

Although Pellegrini near for Manchester City successful the summertime of 2013, and rising prima Isco was snapped up by Real Madrid, initially determination was assurance that Al-Thani's backing would support the squad warring for a salient spot successful European football.

But past everything started to unravel, and it has been going downhill accelerated ever since.

Malaga were connected the brink of the Champions League semi-finals successful 2013 earlier a precocious Dortmund comeback

Dreams crook into nightmare

Firstly, the nine was banned from the Europa League by caller Financial Fair Play Rules, giving Al-Thani - who was already frustrated by Barcelona and Real Madrid's financially ascendant presumption successful Spanish shot - a wide realisation that rules would obstruct his attempts to make a money-means-nothing superpower.

But adjacent much important developments came acold from the satellite of football.

In 2011 Al-Thani had announced plans to substantially redevelop the marina successful the tourer hotspot edifice of Marbella, 40 miles westbound of Malaga.

Marbella's politician hailed the task - partially owned by the metropolis hallway alongside Al-Thani's institution - arsenic "an emblematic enactment that volition laic the foundations for a caller metropolis exemplary and enactment arsenic an motor of economical improvement for the full coast".

The thought of investing 400 cardinal euros to make "the astir important marina anyplace connected the Mediterranean coast" - to beryllium named, of course, the Al-Thani Marina - offered the committedness of regenerating the section area, starring to thousands of caller jobs and immense profits for its owner.

But the plans soon ran into problems, with Al-Thani seemingly incapable to conscionable his fiscal commitments.

At the aforesaid time, his narration besides soured with different concern partner, BlueBay Hotels, with whom helium had struck a woody to jointly ain and negociate the shot club. Those sagas yet ended up successful court, with some rulings going against the progressively absent Al-Thani.

The marina remains unbuilt.

The fortunes of the shot nine mirrored those of its owner, and Malaga were inevitably relegated successful 2018 amid unmanageable debts. Two years later, successful February 2020, a determination tribunal ordered Al-Thani's removal arsenic nine president due to the fact that of alleged misappropriation of funds, with an audit concluding that Al-Thani and his household owed the nine much than €7 million.

Control of nine affairs was handed to a court-appointed administrator, Jose Maria Munoz, who has stayed successful complaint ever since and mostly succeeded successful steadying the club's fiscal position.

The shot broadside of the business, however, has not improved.

Malaga's La Rosaleda Stadium tin clasp 30,000 fans

Another relegation is 'nailed on'

Freelance writer Alex Fitzpatrick, who runs a Twitter provender and podcast dedicated to the Spanish 2nd division, explained to BBC Sport: "Former Malaga subordinate Manolo Gaspar was made the club's sporting director, and helium was not up to the job.

"He oversaw each signings and galore of them were disastrous. The squad readying was precise poor, and his managerial appointments were scattergun."

Scattergun is possibly excessively benignant a description, with Malaga racing done 10 managers successful the past 5 years, including 3 this play alone. The astir caller incumbent, Sergio Pellicer, returned for his 2nd spell successful January, soon earlier Gaspar himself departed to adhd further chaos down the scenes.

Hamstrung by a litany of mediocre signings, nary managerial stableness and an absent proprietor who continues to protestation his innocence, it's nary astonishment that the squad has suffered.

Results and performances this play person been consistently poor, and Malaga are heavy successful relegation occupation - 8 points adrift of information with 9 games remaining.

"It looks nailed connected that they volition beryllium relegated," says Fitzpatrick. "But beyond this season, determination is immoderate anticipation they tin bounce backmost due to the fact that the nine has a bully younker strategy and is present commercially well-run.

"The astir important determination is appointing a caller sporting manager to regenerate Gaspar. The rumour is they are looking astatine Chema Aragon from Mirandes, who looks similar he'd beryllium perfect. The aboriginal depends hugely connected that appointment."

At immoderate point, the aboriginal of the club's ownership volition besides beryllium settled, with different tribunal proceeding successful the 'Al-Thani case' scheduled for 21 April. Al-Thani volition surely yet person to springiness up oregon merchantability his controlling involvement successful the club, and Qatar Sports Investments main Nasser Al-Khelaifi - proprietor of Paris St Germain - has admitted his radical is funny successful buying Malaga.

On the field, with 27 points inactive available, it's excessively aboriginal to wholly springiness up connected avoiding relegation. However, the ongoing demise presently shows nary motion of abating, and Malaga's glory days of Champions League knockout stages volition surely soon beryllium replaced by semi-professional opponents successful the regionalised 3rd division.