Eight years after slipping out of Spain’s top flight, Málaga CF have completed one of the most emotional comebacks in modern La Liga history. Relegated in 2018, the Andalusians fell so far they spent a season in the third tier, known locally as el pozo (“the well”), before climbing back via the Segunda División play-offs in 2026.sports.


This is the story of how a club with no owner, severe debts and a skeletal squad found a way back to the Primera División through local talent, unconventional coaching and a fanbase that refused to let their team die.


From Champions League heartbreak to collapse

Málaga’s modern peak came in April 2013, when they were minutes from a Champions League semi-final before two late Borussia Dortmund goals knocked them out. Under Qatari owner Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani and manager Manuel Pellegrini, the club had briefly challenged Spain’s “big three” with signings like Santi Cazorla, Isco and Ruud van Nistelrooy.


But after Pellegrini left for Manchester City and Isco joined Real Madrid in 2013, the project unraveled. Málaga were banned from the Europa League for breaching UEFA financial fair play rules, then relegated in 2018 as debts mounted. In 2020, a regional court ordered Al Thani’s removal over alleged misappropriation of funds; international arrest warrants now seek prison sentences totaling 14½ years for the Sheikh and his sons.


A court-appointed administrator, José María Muñoz, has overseen operations since 2020, stabilizing finances through fire sales and reliance on free agents and loans. Yet by 2023 the squad was so thin that Málaga dropped into the regionalised third division.


Escaping “the well”

Spain’s third tier is notoriously hard to escape. Local businessmen even discussed forming a phoenix club in case Málaga faded away. Instead, a hungry group of youth-team players and local lads won promotion at the first attempt, finishing third in their group before beating Gimnàstic Tarragona in a dramatic play-off final.


The city’s relationship with the club reignited. “Disgracefully, in Málaga there have always been lots of Real Madrid and Barcelona fans,” said supporter and journalist José Luis Sabatel. “But when Málaga flew lower, an enormous quantity of ‘Malagueños’ became ‘Malaguistas’.”


The Funes factor: a teacher, not a traditional coach

After a mid-table finish in the Segunda División, Málaga started the next season poorly under Sergio Pellicer and turned to reserve-team boss Juan Francisco Funes, a former schoolteacher with no professional playing or coaching pedigree.


The gamble worked. After one win and two draws, Málaga won six in a row and surged into the play-off places. Funes knew many players from the academy, shortening adaptation time and tailoring roles to their strengths. He used historical quotes and films to motivate the group, reportedly drawing on The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and even Kung Fu Panda, and spoke about his squad like children, affectionately calling them los bichos (“the bugs”).

“That style of football combined with local players made a perfect cocktail that energised the fans,” said podcaster and season-ticket holder Matt Harrison.


The play-off final: Málaga 2, Almería 1

Málaga finished fourth in 2025–26 with one of the smallest budgets in the division, having spent just £325,000 on permanent transfers since 2020. By contrast, play-off rivals Almería spent more than £10m that season alone.


After a goalless first leg at La Rosaleda, hundreds of fans lined motorway bridges to wave the team off to Almería, a visual of the bond forged over recent years. In the second leg, striker Chupe (25 league goals) opened the scoring and winger David Larrubia curled in a second before Almería pulled one back. The 2–1 aggregate win sent the city into mass celebration; an estimated 185,000 people lined the streets for the team’s return.


Kit supplier Hummel marked the moment by printing the names of all 26,550 season-ticket holders on a special one-off shirt. Players later challenged fans to meet them at 7 a.m. on a Monday at a suburban roundabout; hundreds turned up, underscoring the campaign’s defining feature: a genuine two-way connection between squad and supporters.


Preparing for La Liga: low-key but smart

Given financial constraints, Málaga’s La Liga 2026/27 preparations have been modest but targeted. Key players have renewed contracts, while sporting director Loren Juarros has added astute loans: promotion hero Carlos Dotor returned from Celta Vigo, and winger Juan Cruz arrived from Leganés for around £256,000.


The opening fixtures are brutal: away to Atlético Madrid and then Real Madrid. Most observers tip Málaga as favourites for relegation, but after surviving the well and winning the long route back, the mood is defiant.sports.


“Málaga’s story is beautifully convoluted, with plenty of plot twists and the most enchanting ending,” says Sabatel. “From now on, we can only enjoy.”