To the well and back - how Malaga returned to La Liga
August 19, 2026 10:01
Malaga CF have climbed back to the second tier of Spanish football after a rapid fall from the top level that culminated in the third division. A young, largely homegrown squad won promotion from Spain’s third tier at the first attempt, beating Gimnastic Tarragona in a two-legged play-off when Antonio Cordero scored a late extra-time leveller to send the tie in Malaga’s favour.
The club’s return reignited widespread local support — an estimated 185,000 people attended the promotion parade in June — after years of financial turmoil, ownership disputes and relegations that had taken the side from Champions League hopefuls to “el pozo”, the notoriously hard-to-escape third division.
KEY CONTEXT
- Malaga reached the Champions League quarter-finals in 2013 and were minutes from the semi-finals before losing to Borussia Dortmund.
- In 2010 Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani bought the club, funding a period that included hiring Manuel Pellegrini and bringing players such as Santi Cazorla, Jeremy Toulalan, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Isco.
- After Pellegrini left for Manchester City and Isco departed for Real Madrid in 2013, the club fell into financial difficulties: they were banned from the Europa League for breaching UEFA financial rules, sold many players and were relegated from La Liga in 2018.
- A 2020 regional court ordered Al Thani’s removal amid allegations of misappropriation. European and international arrest warrants have been issued for him and his sons, and prosecutors are seeking prison terms totalling 14½ years for alleged misappropriation, unfair administration and abusive corporate decisions. Jose Maria Munoz has run club operations as a court-appointed administrator since 2020.
- Fire sales and a reliance on free transfers and loans stabilised finances temporarily, but Malaga still dropped into the third tier in 2023 — a division nicknamed “el pozo.”
WHY IT MATTERS
Malaga’s revival is significant because it represents a recovery from a steep decline triggered by ownership and financial collapse after a period of genuine sporting success. The promotion demonstrates the club’s capacity to rebuild using youth and local players, and it has restored substantial local engagement after seasons of poor results and uncertainty.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
- How Malaga performs under Sergio Pellicer following promotion: Pellicer’s second spell produced a 16th-place finish in the second division after promotion, and the following season began with just four wins from 14 matches — a form line to follow.