One of the reasons that I love the Costa del Sol is that it has everything I personally need. Sand, sea, sun …..and soccer! As a lifelong football fan, having La Liga football on my doorstep is just another reason for living here.

Málaga CF play in the top flight of Spanish football which is variously described as La Liga, La Primera, La Liga BBVA …..and the best league in the world! This means that locals and visitors can see the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia in La Rosaleda the club’s excellent stadium in the outskirts of the city. They have an excellent website although sadly only part of it is in English!

The 2010/2011 season started full of hope. The club had changed ownership for the second time in four years and this time the club had acquired wealthy backers – so wealthy that they immediately removed William Hill gaming as sponsors because of their religious beliefs. In 2006 Lorenzo Sanz, a former Real Madrid president, had purchased a 97% holding in the club and then appointed his son Fernando Sanz, the former captain of the team, as club president. The club was again sold in June 2010, as Qatarian investor, Abdullah ben Nasser Al Thani, bought the club from Sanz.

The club had a new Portuguese manager the highly-rated Ferreira who came with a fine reputation, a huge budget and all looked set for a happier season that 2009/2010 but…….

After 12 games, the club had lost 7 and had taken just 1 point from a possible 18. Málaga CF were bottom of La Liga and looking at a long winter of heavy defeats with relegation as the likely result. Five consecutive home defeats was too much for the new owners

Manuel Pellegrini (photo, above) was brought in and everybody involved with the club recognised that the owners were extremely serious about their newly acquired club. Firstly, the pay-off to Ferreira may have been as much as 12 million euros and secondly bringing in somebody of the status and reputation of Pellegrini emphasised their desire to progress.

The effect was immediate. In his first two games in charge the club beat Hércules in the Copa del Rey and got their first points at home with a 1-0 victory over Levante.

The stage was set …… and then it all went wrong! Until April the club was in or near the relegation zone. A run of good results in April moved them out of the bottom three and as if by miracle the club finished in 11th place. Yes, after having spent almost the entire season in the drop zone, they almost made the top half of the table and were indeed not far off a Europa league spot!

With survival assured the club then went on a mega-spending spree and brought in a whole raft of new signings including the legendary Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Joaquín (a legend in his own opinion) For an update on all things Málaga this blog is always worth reading. La Liga Loca also usually has plenty to say on anything football and here are some more tongue-in-cheek thoughts.

The Brits brought football to Spain and this involvement continues to this day with a very large and active Peña Internacional Malaguista, the International Supporters Club. They have an excellent web-site complete with forum, arrange travel to home and away matches and generally support the club at every level. I know you will be made most welcome on the forum, at the ground or in either of their two “locals” in Marbella Old Town and Arroyo de la Miel. There is also a huge Spanish Supporters’ Club who are famous throughout Spain and internationally for their passion. This is them in action recently:

The club also has a museum and tour but the opening hours are not consistent so I suggest you visit the website or call 952 10 30 00

Incidentally, the club has also its own reserve team, Atlético Malagueño who play in the fourth level of the Spanish football pyramid.

Enjoy!