From our football correspondent
Steady
Match15 Nov 2027
Málaga up to position 324 points on the board and a place in the leading group. Nobody at the ground is saying the word out loud yet.
Squad15 Nov 2027
The medical room confirms 24 days on the sidelines for Alfonso Herrero , and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Match13 Nov 2027
Beaten 1-2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad15 Nov 2027
The manager makes an example of Álex Pastor
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad15 Nov 2027
Joaquín asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Market15 Nov 2027
The Adrián Niño talk will not go away
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Málaga know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match3 Nov 2027
Málaga out of the cupValladolid ended it 2-3. The season narrows to the league now, and everyone in the ground knew it before the final whistle.
Squad8 Nov 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Match6 Nov 2027
Three points for Málaga , 2-1 the final word against Castellón in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Squad8 Nov 2027
The manager makes an example of Joaquín
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Boardroom8 Nov 2027
Málaga release $17.3M for the managerThe board have put money on the table rather than an encouraging word. What happens to it now is somebody else's problem, and somebody else's job.
Market8 Nov 2027
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Squad8 Nov 2027
A club that lets a breach of discipline pass invites the next one, so a week's wages have gone. The matter is closed, officially at least.
Market8 Nov 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Málaga know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Squad8 Nov 2027
At 21 years old, Sven van der Plas became the latest name off the academy production line to be handed a senior shirt.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match30 Oct 2027
Andorra made Málaga work for it, but the scoreboard read 3-2 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Squad1 Nov 2027
The manager makes an example of Rafita
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market1 Nov 2027
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Rafita The manager makes an example of Rafita
Squad1 Nov 2027
Málaga will explain it as a decision about the team, and it may well be one. A dressing room has never once read it that way.
Squad1 Nov 2027
The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.
Squad1 Nov 2027
Chupete hit in the pocketThe fine is internal, the amount is nobody's business, and the fact that everybody at Málaga knows about it by lunchtime is exactly the point of it.
In brief
Market
The Chupete talk will not go away
Boardroom
Málaga board back the manager
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad25 Oct 2027
Izan Merino is the real thing at 21A season average of 7.05 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Málaga know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.
Squad25 Oct 2027
The manager makes an example of Haitam Abaida
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match23 Oct 2027
It finished 1-1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad18 Oct 2027
The medical room confirms 54 days on the sidelines for Alfonso Herrero , and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Squad18 Oct 2027
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Ángel Recio commits to Málaga for another 5 years.
Match16 Oct 2027
Real Sociedad B made Málaga work for it, but the scoreboard read 2-1 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Squad18 Oct 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad18 Oct 2027
Dani Sánchez knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Málaga , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market18 Oct 2027
The Adrián Niño talk will not go away
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Málaga know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad11 Oct 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Match9 Oct 2027
Three points for Málaga , 2-1 the final word against Zaragoza in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Squad11 Oct 2027
Álex Pastor gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market11 Oct 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Málaga know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
The terraces11 Oct 2027
The press cannot get enough of David Larrubia
Praise is not points and never has been. It is, however, the fastest way for a valuation to move, and everybody in the game reads the same pages.
Squad11 Oct 2027
The message was aimed at the stands as much as the dressing room: David Larrubia plays, and the argument is closed until the manager decides otherwise.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad4 Oct 2027
A one-man rearguard from Carlos López
There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Match2 Oct 2027
Beaten 1-3, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad4 Oct 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Boardroom4 Oct 2027
$17.3M on the table at Málaga
The board have answered with money instead of encouragement, which is the only answer a manager ever wants. Spending it well is now entirely his problem.
Squad4 Oct 2027
The captaincy has been taken off Alfonso Herrero . Málaga will call it a decision about the team; a dressing room reads it as a verdict on a man.
Market4 Oct 2027
The Chupete talk will not go away
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Málaga know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad27 Sep 2027
Chupete takes the match ball home3 goals in one afternoon from one man. The other players were also present, a witness confirmed.
Squad27 Sep 2027
David Stückler : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Málaga have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Match25 Sep 2027
Albacete made Málaga work for it, but the scoreboard read 3-1 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Chupete Chupete takes the match ball home
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad20 Sep 2027
Rafita : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Málaga have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad20 Sep 2027
The medical room confirms 84 days on the sidelines for Alfonso Herrero , and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Squad20 Sep 2027
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Izan Merino commits to Málaga for another 5 years.
Rafita Rafita: that is not what I was promised
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad13 Sep 2027
Emilio Pardo : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Málaga have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Match11 Sep 2027
Beaten 0-1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad13 Sep 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market13 Sep 2027
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Market13 Sep 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Málaga know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Squad13 Sep 2027
Ángel Recio asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad6 Sep 2027
A one-man rearguard from Carlos López
There were 11 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Market6 Sep 2027
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Market6 Sep 2027
Izan Merino wants to know where this is going“I want to win things, and I would like to do it here.” Nothing has been demanded and nothing has been threatened — but a boardroom at Málaga hears a sentence like that exactly as it was built.
Squad6 Sep 2027
The manager makes an example of Dani Sánchez
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Boardroom6 Sep 2027
$17.3M on the table at Málaga
The board have answered with money instead of encouragement, which is the only answer a manager ever wants. Spending it well is now entirely his problem.
Match4 Sep 2027
A 2-2 draw with Almería leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
Market6 Sep 2027
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Squad6 Sep 2027
Málaga will explain it as a decision about the team, and it may well be one. A dressing room has never once read it that way.
Market6 Sep 2027
The Chupete talk will not go away
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Málaga know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad30 Aug 2027
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” David Larrubia commits to Málaga for another 5 years.
Squad30 Aug 2027
The manager makes an example of David Larrubia
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market30 Aug 2027
The name of Carlos López has come up in conversations Málaga were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
Match28 Aug 2027
Three points for Málaga , 1-0 the final word against Cádiz in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Market30 Aug 2027
Union Berlin are about to pick up the phoneA conversation is coming this week. Málaga will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.
Squad30 Aug 2027
The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.
In brief
Market
The David Larrubia talk will not go away
Squad
Álex Pastor asks for a word with the manager
The terraces
The press have found their man in Chupete
The terraces
The stand has a song for Chupete
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad23 Aug 2027
The medical room confirms 116 days on the sidelines for Alfonso Herrero , and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Market23 Aug 2027
The shirt still fits. Jaime Herrera is back at Málaga , and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
Market23 Aug 2027
The shirt still fits. Hugo Serrano is back at Málaga , and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
Market23 Aug 2027
The shirt still fits. Alberto Montes is back at Málaga , and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
Market23 Aug 2027
The shirt still fits. Fernando Sosa is back at Málaga , and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
Match21 Aug 2027
Three points for Málaga , 3-1 the final word against Córdoba in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Squad23 Aug 2027
The manager makes an example of Ramón Enríquez
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad23 Aug 2027
The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.
Squad23 Aug 2027
Adrián Niño finally opens his accountHe wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Málaga have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad16 Aug 2027
Haitam Abaida : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Málaga have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Market16 Aug 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad16 Aug 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad16 Aug 2027
Izan Merino asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Market16 Aug 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Málaga know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
The terraces16 Aug 2027
Supporters make their feelings known about Chupete
The speculation has reached the stands, and the stands have answered. Málaga would like this settled before it becomes the only thing anybody asks about.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad9 Aug 2027
The manager makes an example of Rafa Rodríguez
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad9 Aug 2027
Izan Merino knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Málaga , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market9 Aug 2027
Carlos Puga linked with a move awayThe name of Carlos Puga keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Málaga say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad2 Aug 2027
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Market2 Aug 2027
Mouscron come back empty-handedThe bid was some way short and Málaga did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Squad2 Aug 2027
Izan Merino is the real thing at 21A season average of 7.13 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Málaga know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.
Market2 Aug 2027
Talks stall between Málaga and Koke
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Boardroom2 Aug 2027
Málaga release $2.0M for the managerThe board have put money on the table rather than an encouraging word. What happens to it now is somebody else's problem, and somebody else's job.
Squad2 Aug 2027
Rafita gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad26 Jul 2027
Dani Lorenzo gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market26 Jul 2027
Julen Lobete is free to find somewhere else“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Málaga has been clear about where Julen Lobete stands, which is more than many ever get.
Market26 Jul 2027
The name of David Larrubia keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Málaga say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market19 Jul 2027
The fee is $2.8M, the contract is signed, and the argument about whether he is worth it can begin. Real Sociedad drove a hard bargain; time will say who won it.
Market19 Jul 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Málaga can pretend not to have heard.
Squad19 Jul 2027
Dani Sánchez gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market19 Jul 2027
Experience through the door at Málaga
Koke arrives at 35 with nothing left to prove and plenty left to pass on. Legs are a young man's currency; knowing where to stand never ages.
Squad19 Jul 2027
Adrián Niño asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Market19 Jul 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Málaga know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad12 Jul 2027
Ramón Enríquez : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Málaga have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Market12 Jul 2027
Juanpe has left for Zaragoza in a $2.3M deal. The accountants are pleased; the supporters are less certain.
Squad12 Jul 2027
The manager makes an example of Julen Lobete
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market5 Jul 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad5 Jul 2027
Izan Merino is the real thing at 21A season average of 7.13 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Málaga know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.
Boardroom5 Jul 2027
Málaga release $2.0M for the managerThe board have put money on the table rather than an encouraging word. What happens to it now is somebody else's problem, and somebody else's job.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market28 Jun 2027
Juanpe hands in a written request“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Málaga can pretend not to have heard.
Squad28 Jun 2027
Javier Martínez : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Málaga have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad28 Jun 2027
Joaquín gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Juanpe Juanpe hands in a written request
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market21 Jun 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Málaga can pretend not to have heard.
Squad21 Jun 2027
Aarón Ochoa gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad21 Jun 2027
Izan Merino asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Market21 Jun 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Málaga know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Market21 Jun 2027
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Squad21 Jun 2027
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. David Larrubia keeps the shirt for now, at Málaga 's convenience rather than his own.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market14 Jun 2027
Gijón pay $1.0M, and the deal is done. The number reads well on a balance sheet; whether it reads well on the pitch is next season's question.
Squad14 Jun 2027
The manager makes an example of Rafa Rodríguez
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market14 Jun 2027
Ramón Enríquez is free to find somewhere else“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Málaga has been clear about where Ramón Enríquez stands, which is more than many ever get.
Market14 Jun 2027
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
Squad14 Jun 2027
Ángel Recio knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Málaga , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market14 Jun 2027
Carlos Puga linked with a move awayThe name of Carlos Puga keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Málaga say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad7 Jun 2027
23 goals and a season average of 7.37. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
The terraces7 Jun 2027
The ground has had enough
“We travel everywhere and we get this.” 5 of the 25 senior players heard it walking off, and the ones who did not hear it were not playing.
Market7 Jun 2027
“I have ambitions, and I would like the club to share them.” Nobody has asked to leave and nobody has been shown the door — but a player chooses that sentence carefully, and a boardroom hears it exactly as it was meant.
Squad7 Jun 2027
Izan Merino is the real thing at 21A season average of 7.13 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Málaga know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.
Squad7 Jun 2027
“The easiest signature of my career.” Joaquín and Málaga agree another 4 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Match5 Jun 2027
Beaten 1-2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad7 Jun 2027
The manager makes an example of Alfonso Herrero
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Boardroom7 Jun 2027
Málaga release $2.0M for the managerThe board have put money on the table rather than an encouraging word. What happens to it now is somebody else's problem, and somebody else's job.
Market7 Jun 2027
Juanpe told to find a new club“They were honest with me, and I would rather know.” Juanpe has been informed he is not in the manager's thinking at Málaga .
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad31 May 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Match29 May 2027
Still nobody has beaten Málaga
The unbeaten run reaches 8. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.
Squad31 May 2027
Adrián Niño is in the form of his lifeA season average of 7.28 with 10 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match22 May 2027
Rarely has this fixture seen a display like it: 4-0 against Real Sociedad B , and it could have been more.
Squad24 May 2027
There were 8 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad24 May 2027
22 goals and a season average of 7.36. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Market24 May 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Málaga is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Market24 May 2027
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Málaga can pretend not to have heard.
Match22 May 2027
Still nobody has beaten Málaga
The unbeaten run reaches 7. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.
Squad24 May 2027
Juanpe gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
The terraces24 May 2027
Everybody has an opinion about Alfonso Herrero
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
Market24 May 2027
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Málaga know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market17 May 2027
Dani Sánchez has one foot out of the doorTerms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Málaga they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad17 May 2027
Chupete is in the form of his lifeA season average of 7.33 with 21 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Match15 May 2027
Still nobody has beaten Málaga
The unbeaten run reaches 6. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.
Squad17 May 2027
The manager makes an example of Izan Merino
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match15 May 2027
It finished 1-1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
The terraces17 May 2027
The spotlight tightens on Joaquín
Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market10 May 2027
Joaquín has one foot out of the doorTerms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Málaga they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad10 May 2027
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad10 May 2027
Izan Merino is the real thing at 21A season average of 7.09 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Málaga know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.
Joaquín Joaquín has one foot out of the door
Squad10 May 2027
The manager makes an example of Alfonso Herrero
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad10 May 2027
41 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
Match8 May 2027
Honours even between Málaga and Eibar
1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match3 May 2027
Málaga up to position 360 points on the board and a place in the leading group. Nobody at the ground is saying the word out loud yet.
Squad3 May 2027
Aarón Ochoa : that is not what I was promised“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” Málaga have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Squad3 May 2027
There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Aarón Ochoa Aarón Ochoa: that is not what I was promised
Squad3 May 2027
20 goals and a season average of 7.31. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Match1 May 2027
Málaga make it 3 in a rowMomentum is a hard thing to buy and an easy thing to lose, and right now Málaga have 3 straight wins of it.
Squad3 May 2027
The medical room confirms 29 days on the sidelines for Álex Pastor , and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Match1 May 2027
Three points for Málaga , 2-1 the final word against Cultural Leonesa in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Boardroom3 May 2027
$2.0M on the table at Málaga
The board have answered with money instead of encouragement, which is the only answer a manager ever wants. Spending it well is now entirely his problem.
Market3 May 2027
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Market26 Apr 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Málaga is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad26 Apr 2027
18 goals and a season average of 7.28. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Match24 Apr 2027
Málaga get the job done against Burgos A 3-2 win over Burgos , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad26 Apr 2027
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Alfonso Herrero knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
Squad26 Apr 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad26 Apr 2027
Ángel Recio has to sit this one outA booking nobody needed, on a night the game was already won. Málaga lose a player for the most avoidable reason there is.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad19 Apr 2027
There were 7 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Market19 Apr 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Málaga is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Match17 Apr 2027
Huesca made Málaga work for it, but the scoreboard read 2-1 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Squad19 Apr 2027
The manager makes an example of Joaquín
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad19 Apr 2027
Adrián Niño is in the form of his lifeA season average of 7.23 with 8 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Market19 Apr 2027
2 months remain and no agreement is close. Every week without a signature costs Málaga money.
In brief
Squad
Juanpe asks for a word with the manager
The terraces
The press have found their man in Izan Merino
The terraces
The stand has a song for Izan Merino
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market12 Apr 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Málaga is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Market12 Apr 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad12 Apr 2027
There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad12 Apr 2027
17 goals and a season average of 7.26. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Squad12 Apr 2027
Izan Merino is the real thing at 21A season average of 7.00 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Málaga know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.
Squad12 Apr 2027
The manager makes an example of Dani Sánchez
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad5 Apr 2027
59 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
Match3 Apr 2027
A bad afternoon for Málaga against Cádiz
1-2 to Cádiz , and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Squad5 Apr 2027
Rafita gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad5 Apr 2027
Dani Lorenzo is in the form of his lifeA season average of 7.26 with 4 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Market5 Apr 2027
Málaga and Joaquín are talking past each other“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
The terraces5 Apr 2027
Everybody has an opinion about Alfonso Herrero
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad29 Mar 2027
There were 8 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Market29 Mar 2027
Diego Murillo has one foot out of the doorTerms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Málaga they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad29 Mar 2027
16 goals and a season average of 7.25. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Match27 Mar 2027
A 2-1 win over Córdoba , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad29 Mar 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad29 Mar 2027
Izan Merino knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Málaga , and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market22 Mar 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Málaga is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad22 Mar 2027
15 goals and a season average of 7.21. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Match20 Mar 2027
Three points for Málaga , 3-1 the final word against Andorra in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Squad22 Mar 2027
The manager makes an example of Joaquín
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad22 Mar 2027
Izan Merino asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Market22 Mar 2027
3 months left and the two sides are nowhere near each other. Every week this drags on takes money off what Málaga could get for him.
Squad22 Mar 2027
At 23 he has made the position his own, and the man he took it from has to find something to say about it. Málaga have a decision that made itself.
Loan watch22 Mar 2027
3 appearances away from home and 1 goals to show for them. Every one of them makes next summer's conversation a little more expensive.
The terraces22 Mar 2027
The press have found their man in Adrián Niño
Column inches are not points, but a footballer whose name keeps appearing for the right reasons is a footballer whose price has just gone up.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match13 Mar 2027
A hiding for Málaga
Beaten 1-4 by Racing Santander , and beaten everywhere it matters. The inquest starts on the training pitch on Monday morning.
Squad15 Mar 2027
There were 7 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Market15 Mar 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Málaga is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Market15 Mar 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Match13 Mar 2027
No end in sight to Málaga 's wait for a win
4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Málaga has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad15 Mar 2027
At 20, Izan Merino is already the best thing here
An average of 7.00 in a first team he is several years too young for. Málaga have something, and by now the whole division has noticed.
Loan watch15 Mar 2027
“I am grateful for the games, but I did not become a footballer to be somebody else's spare part.” He wants to be at Málaga , and 2 appearances in 7 say he has earned the hearing.
Squad15 Mar 2027
The manager makes an example of Izan Merino
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Boardroom15 Mar 2027
Nobody left the Málaga dressing room in a hurry
The door stayed shut a long time after the final whistle. What was said in there is between them; whether it worked is between them and Saturday.
In brief
Squad
Joaquín asks for a word with the manager
Market
The Izan Merino talk will not go away
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad8 Mar 2027
91 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
Loan watch8 Mar 2027
“I did not go to Córdoba to sit and watch. I want to come back to Málaga and fight for my place.” 1 appearances in 5 matches say the rest.
Squad8 Mar 2027
The manager makes an example of Alfonso Herrero
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match6 Mar 2027
Beaten 0-1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Boardroom8 Mar 2027
Málaga release $2.0M for the managerThe board have put money on the table rather than an encouraging word. What happens to it now is somebody else's problem, and somebody else's job.
Squad8 Mar 2027
One booking too many, and David Larrubia sits out. Málaga lose him for the sort of avoidable reason that makes a manager's week longer.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Market1 Mar 2027
Diego Murillo has one foot out of the doorTerms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Málaga they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Match27 Feb 2027
Still nobody has beaten Málaga
The unbeaten run reaches 6. Some of them were wins and some were escapes, but a side that refuses to lose is a side other dressing rooms talk about.
Loan watch1 Mar 2027
“I did not go to Racing Santander to sit and watch. I want to come back to Málaga and fight for my place.” 2 appearances in 7 matches say the rest.
Squad1 Mar 2027
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match27 Feb 2027
Nil-nil, and few chances worth the name. Zaragoza came to defend and left with exactly what they came for.
Market1 Mar 2027
The name of Alfonso Herrero keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Málaga say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad22 Feb 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Market22 Feb 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Málaga is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad22 Feb 2027
Chupete is in the form of his lifeA season average of 7.24 with 15 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Squad22 Feb 2027
Dani Sánchez gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match20 Feb 2027
2-2, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
Squad22 Feb 2027
Izan Merino has to sit this one outA booking nobody needed, on a night the game was already won. Málaga lose a player for the most avoidable reason there is.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Market15 Feb 2027
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Málaga is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Market15 Feb 2027
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Match13 Feb 2027
Málaga cannot stop winning4 wins on the spin now, and the question has changed from whether the run ends to who ends it. Confidence like this cannot be bought; it has to be earned exactly this way.
Squad15 Feb 2027
At 20, Izan Merino is already the best thing here
An average of 7.02 in a first team he is several years too young for. Málaga have something, and by now the whole division has noticed.
Squad15 Feb 2027
Chupete is in the form of his lifeA season average of 7.20 with 14 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Match13 Feb 2027
A 2-1 win over Albacete , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Market8 Feb 2027
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Squad8 Feb 2027
The medical room confirms 124 days on the sidelines for Álex Pastor , and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Match6 Feb 2027
Málaga cannot stop winning3 wins on the spin now, and the question has changed from whether the run ends to who ends it. Confidence like this cannot be bought; it has to be earned exactly this way.
Match6 Feb 2027
Mirandés made Málaga work for it, but the scoreboard read 1-0 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Squad8 Feb 2027
Rafita gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market8 Feb 2027
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market1 Feb 2027
Valladolid come back empty-handedThe bid was some way short and Málaga did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Match30 Jan 2027
Ceuta made Málaga work for it, but the scoreboard read 1-0 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Squad1 Feb 2027
Joaquín gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Joaquín Valladolid come back empty-handed
Market1 Feb 2027
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Market1 Feb 2027
The name of Alfonso Herrero keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Málaga say nothing, which says plenty.
Squad1 Feb 2027
Haitam Abaida asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Squad1 Feb 2027
Álex Pastor wants a proper job in this sideShifted about, taken off before the hour, asked to do somebody else's running — Álex Pastor has had enough of being useful and would like to be picked. Málaga know, and have known for weeks.
The terraces1 Feb 2027
The press cannot get enough of Izan Merino
Praise is not points and never has been. It is, however, the fastest way for a valuation to move, and everybody in the game reads the same pages.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad25 Jan 2027
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Market25 Jan 2027
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Market25 Jan 2027
The name of Diego Murillo has come up in conversations Málaga were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
Match23 Jan 2027
A 1-0 win over Leganés , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad25 Jan 2027
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad25 Jan 2027
Joaquín knocks on the manager's door“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Málaga , and both men came out saying it was fine.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match16 Jan 2027
5 matches without a win for Málaga
The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around Málaga are no longer polite ones.
Market18 Jan 2027
Córdoba come back empty-handedThe bid was some way short and Málaga did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Match16 Jan 2027
0-1 to Castellón , and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Squad18 Jan 2027
The manager makes an example of Rafa Rodríguez
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market18 Jan 2027
The Izan Merino talk will not go away
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Málaga know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Squad18 Jan 2027
The shirt belongs to Joaquín now
At 27 he has made the position his own, and the man he took it from has to find something to say about it. Málaga have a decision that made itself.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match9 Jan 2027
0-4 to Deportivo La Coruña , and it was every bit as bad as the number suggests. There are defeats you argue about and defeats you apologise for; this was the second kind.
Market11 Jan 2027
The offer was not close and it was refused without much discussion. Whether the second one is refused as quickly is another matter.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Aarón Ochoa is the real thing at 19A season average of 7.07 at an age when most of his year group are still in the youth team. Málaga know what they have, and so, by now, does everybody else.
Match9 Jan 2027
4 matches without a win for Málaga
The run now stands at 4, and the questions being asked around Málaga are no longer polite ones.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Álex Pastor gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Boardroom11 Jan 2027
The manager kept them in and said what needed saying. A response is expected on Saturday, and if it does not come the questions move upstairs.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Whether it was the goalkeeper or the ten in front of him is the argument that will fill every conversation in town this week. 5 saves does not settle it either way.
Market11 Jan 2027
Rafita placed on the listMálaga have made Rafita available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.
Squad11 Jan 2027
Juanpe asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Market4 Jan 2027
Osasuna come back empty-handedThe bid was some way short and Málaga did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Market4 Jan 2027
The name of Diego Murillo has come up in conversations Málaga were not part of. Nothing formal, nothing signed — but nothing about it accidental either.
Match2 Jan 2027
A bad afternoon for Málaga against Granada
0-2 to Granada , and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Joaquín Osasuna come back empty-handed
Squad4 Jan 2027
The manager makes an example of Dani Sánchez
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad4 Jan 2027
The award goes to David Larrubia , and nobody around here is inclined to argue with the choice.
Market4 Jan 2027
Diego Murillo is free to find somewhere else“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at Málaga has been clear about where Diego Murillo stands, which is more than many ever get.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match26 Dec 2026
1-3 to Real Sociedad B , and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Squad28 Dec 2026
Izan Merino gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad28 Dec 2026
Dani Sánchez asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match19 Dec 2026
1-2 to Valladolid , and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Squad21 Dec 2026
Carlos Puga gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad21 Dec 2026
A defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad14 Dec 2026
At 19, Aarón Ochoa is already the best thing here
An average of 7.08 in a first team he is several years too young for. Málaga have something, and by now the whole division has noticed.
Match12 Dec 2026
6 unbeaten for Málaga
Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 6 matches without defeat is a foundation Málaga did not have in the autumn.
Match12 Dec 2026
Málaga get the job done against Eibar A 2-1 win over Eibar , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Aarón Ochoa At 19, Aarón Ochoa is already the best thing here
Squad14 Dec 2026
The manager makes an example of Joaquín
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market14 Dec 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Squad14 Dec 2026
Rafa Rodríguez asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match5 Dec 2026
A 3-1 win over Cultural Leonesa , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad7 Dec 2026
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Boardroom7 Dec 2026
$2.0M on the table at Málaga
The board have answered with money instead of encouragement, which is the only answer a manager ever wants. Spending it well is now entirely his problem.
Market7 Dec 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Squad7 Dec 2026
One booking too many, and Chupete sits out. Málaga lose him for the sort of avoidable reason that makes a manager's week longer.
Squad7 Dec 2026
Málaga will explain it as a decision about the team, and it may well be one. A dressing room has never once read it that way.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match30 Nov 2026
Málaga are in among the leadersPosition 3 and 24 points on the board. Nobody at the ground will say the word out loud yet, and everybody at the ground is thinking it.
Squad30 Nov 2026
Izan Merino gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad30 Nov 2026
11 goals and a season average of 7.21. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match21 Nov 2026
Málaga get the job done against Huesca A 3-1 win over Huesca , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad23 Nov 2026
The manager makes an example of Rafita
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad23 Nov 2026
The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.
Rafita The manager makes an example of Rafita
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad16 Nov 2026
At 19, Aarón Ochoa is already the best thing here
An average of 7.10 in a first team he is several years too young for. Málaga have something, and by now the whole division has noticed.
Squad16 Nov 2026
Ángel Recio gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match14 Nov 2026
1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
Aarón Ochoa At 19, Aarón Ochoa is already the best thing here
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match4 Nov 2026
Málaga out of the cupCelta ended it 0-1. The season narrows to the league now, and everyone in the ground knew it before the final whistle.
Squad9 Nov 2026
The match ball belongs to Chupete , whose 3 goals turned a difficult afternoon into a procession.
Match7 Nov 2026
Málaga get the job done against Cádiz A 3-1 win over Cádiz , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match31 Oct 2026
6 unbeaten for Málaga
Hard to beat is not the same as winning, but 6 matches without defeat is a foundation Málaga did not have in the autumn.
Squad2 Nov 2026
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match31 Oct 2026
Ninety minutes, two goalkeepers with clean gloves, and not one finish worth keeping. Córdoba will be the happier side with the point.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad26 Oct 2026
Dani Lorenzo gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match24 Oct 2026
1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
Squad26 Oct 2026
Joaquín asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad19 Oct 2026
At 19, Aarón Ochoa is already the best thing here
An average of 7.02 in a first team he is several years too young for. Málaga have something, and by now the whole division has noticed.
Match17 Oct 2026
Three points for Málaga , 2-1 the final word against Racing Santander in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Squad19 Oct 2026
The manager makes an example of Alfonso Herrero
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Aarón Ochoa At 19, Aarón Ochoa is already the best thing here
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad12 Oct 2026
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Match10 Oct 2026
No end in sight to Málaga 's wait for a win
4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Málaga has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad12 Oct 2026
The manager makes an example of Rafa Rodríguez
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad5 Oct 2026
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad5 Oct 2026
Training ground row involving Ramón Enríquez
Tempers went at Málaga this week. Nothing a hard session and a quiet word cannot repair, though the story got out all the same.
Match3 Oct 2026
It finished 1-1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad28 Sep 2026
The manager makes an example of Dani Sánchez
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match26 Sep 2026
1-1, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
Squad28 Sep 2026
Izan Merino finally opens his accountHe wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. Málaga have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
Squad28 Sep 2026
A new face in his position, and Alfonso Herrero suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Málaga have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
Squad28 Sep 2026
The shirt belongs to Izan Merino now
At 20 he has made the position his own, and the man he took it from has to find something to say about it. Málaga have a decision that made itself.
Market28 Sep 2026
No fee and no drama: Fabrício has signed at Málaga , and the wage bill is the only line that moved.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Match16 Sep 2026
Málaga march on in the cupBurgos are out and Málaga go through, 1-0 the final word. The bracket opens up a little, and everyone allows themselves a look at it.
Squad21 Sep 2026
The manager makes an example of Carlos Puga
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match19 Sep 2026
A bad afternoon for Málaga against Albacete
0-1 to Albacete , and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Carlos Puga The manager makes an example of Carlos Puga
The terraces21 Sep 2026
Everybody has an opinion about Alfonso Herrero
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
Squad21 Sep 2026
The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.
Squad21 Sep 2026
At 32 he has made the position his own, and the man he took it from has to find something to say about it. Málaga have a decision that made itself.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Match12 Sep 2026
A 3-1 win over Mirandés , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Squad14 Sep 2026
The manager makes an example of Rafita
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad14 Sep 2026
The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.
Rafita The manager makes an example of Rafita
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market7 Sep 2026
Ceuta come back empty-handedThe bid was some way short and Málaga did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Match5 Sep 2026
Málaga and Ceuta take a point apieceIt finished 1-1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
Market7 Sep 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Squad7 Sep 2026
The captaincy has been taken off Álex Pastor . Málaga will call it a decision about the team; a dressing room reads it as a verdict on a man.
Squad7 Sep 2026
The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.
Squad7 Sep 2026
The manager makes an example of Haitam Abaida
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market31 Aug 2026
The fee is $2.3M, the contract is signed, and the argument about whether he is worth it can begin. Nacional drove a hard bargain; time will say who won it.
Squad31 Aug 2026
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match29 Aug 2026
A 1-1 draw with Leganés leaves the dressing room somewhere between relief and regret.
From our football correspondent
Triumph
Match22 Aug 2026
Castellón made Málaga work for it, but the scoreboard read 2-0 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Squad24 Aug 2026
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad24 Aug 2026
The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.
Squad24 Aug 2026
The first one is the one every signing is asked about until it arrives. It has arrived, and he can stop being asked.
Squad24 Aug 2026
Adrián Niño unhappy with how he is being usedAsked to play a role that is not his, or taken off before the hour once too often — Adrián Niño has let it be known that he does not like the way Málaga are using him. Managers hear this long before the press does.
In brief
The terraces
The press have found their man in Chupete
The terraces
The stand has a song for Chupete
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market17 Aug 2026
Gijón come back empty-handedThe bid was some way short and Málaga did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Squad17 Aug 2026
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad17 Aug 2026
The medical room confirms 15 days on the sidelines for Julen Lobete , and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Market17 Aug 2026
He is 16, and nobody at Málaga signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.
Market17 Aug 2026
He is 16, and nobody at Málaga signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.
Market17 Aug 2026
He is 16, and nobody at Málaga signed him for this season. Deals like this are judged in four years, by people who may not still be in the building.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad10 Aug 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Alfonso Herrero and Málaga agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Squad10 Aug 2026
Alfonso Herrero asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Market10 Aug 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Market3 Aug 2026
St. Pauli come back empty-handedThe bid was some way short and Málaga did not need long over it. Nobody in the game reads a first refusal as the end of anything.
Squad3 Aug 2026
“The easiest signature of my career.” Juanpe and Málaga agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Market3 Aug 2026
“We are a long way apart, and pretending otherwise helps nobody.” Neither side is close, and the calendar is not on the club's side.
Chupete St. Pauli come back empty-handed