Source: Liverpool_Echo
The lowdown on Malaga
Malaga CF come to Goodison Park tonight as Everton end their pre season preparations. There is little known about the Andalucian club outside Spain so who are they?[LNB]The club are relatively new, but their origins go a long way back. Formed in 1948 as Atletico Malagueno, the club were affiliated from their formation with the older CD Malaga, formed in 1933 after a merger between two much older Malaga clubs first formed in 1904. [LNB]After the dissolution of CD Malaga in 1992, Malagueno took over as the city's premier club, renaming themselves as Malaga Club de Football in 1994. The new Malaga club also took over CD Malaga's honours and historical artefacts which are now on display in the club's display cabinet.[LNB]Throughout their history, Malaga have enjoyed very little success, spending all but 15 of their seasons in the Spanish League pyramid below level three, with 39 years in the Tercera Division, and seven in the regional leagues known as Categorias Regionales. The club's only major honours are the 2002 Intertoto Cup, and the Segunda Division title in 1999.[LNB]Based on the Costa Del Sol, Malaga have traditionally enjoyed a large English following, with a strong ex-pat community in the area. Their home ground is La Rosaleda, or The Rose Garden. The ground was originally the home of CD Malaga, and was rebuilt in 2006 to hold around 30,000 fans, the team averaging a respectable 22,905. [LNB]The club also have one of football's more unusual nicknames, the Boquerones, or in English, the Anchovies![LNB]Malaga have lived a yoyo existence in recent years. They reached the UEFA Cup in 2002, after qualifying via an undefeated run to the Intertoto Cup. [LNB]They went on to reach the quarter finals of the competition, beating Leeds United along the way before going out to Portuguese side Boavista. They remained an inconsistent lower mid table team, before suffering a disastrous relegation, finishing bottom of La Liga in 2006.[LNB]Financial problems followed, and the club was bought by former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz. They were forced to lose many of their best players to ensure survival and escaped relegation on the penultimate day.
