The accusations that they are ruining the game, devaluing its meaning, and making money ever more crucial are never far away. For one Spanish side, Malaga, who were taken over by a member of Qatar’s ruling family, Sheikh Al Thani, they have prompted a very different response. In part it is due to the polarised nature of Spanish football, with the Barcelona and Real Madrid axis at the top becoming even more dominant, as Malaga’s wealth, rather than leading to anger, has prompted hope. Hope that there could be another team who can challenge, who can prise open the dominance of the big two and make Spanish football competitive again.
And Malaga do appear a bit different from the likes of Man City and PSG. For a start, coach Manuel Pellegrini offered his resignation at the relegation haunted side last season, but this was rejected, faith kept in him, the team stayed up and they have made a bright start to the new season. Far from the usual temptation to part with a coach, their faith has been handsomely rewarded.
The club bought Sebas Fernandez after Al Thani’s takeover last year for £3 million, and then went on to spend millions more on the likes of Julio Baptista, Martin Demichelis and this summer, Santi Cazorla. Cazorla’s capture was a landmark moment, breaking the club record once more at £19 million and representing a huge coup with the player chased by a number of other sides. And of course, he left Champions League qualifiers Villarreal to move to Andalucia.
This is a club intent on showing that they do things differently from the orthodox behaviour that such wealthy owners usually indulge in. Fernando Hierro, the legendary ex Real Madrid defender, has returned to the place of his birth to guide the team. Youngsters such as Juanmi have arrived and the club is placing an emphasis on the next generation as well as this one. The signing of Ruud van Nistelrooy this summer was another key move, made to entice other players to join the southern club.
Ambitions are high though, and they believe they can compete for the Champions League. This is a project which is aimed at breaking the duopoly at the top of the table. This is a highly ambitious, perhaps too ambitious, a goal, but the attitude is very different from that at Man City and PSG. Football has consistently shown that short term thinking can bring passing rewards, but that true success goes to those who plan long term. That is what Malaga have done. They might be at the top table in Spanish football soon, and they could stay there longer than wealthy rivals do in their respective leagues.
