Fears for Spanish side Malaga as they announce ‘collective dismissals’

Malaga have announced plans to make a spate of redundancies across their playing squad, which “will directly impact the men’s first team”.

The Spanish second-tier club, who qualified for the Champions League in 2012, have been forced into drastic action due to the club’s ongoing financial problems. A statement on the club’s website read: “As of [Monday], the management of Malaga CF, S.A.D has communicated to the squad of professional footballers its intention to begin a collective dismissal procedure.

“The club has had to make some tough decisions in recent months. On this occasion, the restructuring will directly impact the men’s first team.

“This new restructuring joins the economic plan that aims to get the club out of the complicated financial situation which it continues to be immersed in, in spite of recent efforts.”

Under Spanish law a collective dismissal procedure can only be initiated if an employer plans to make between 10 and 30 employees redundant, depending on the company size, within a period of 90 days.

The statement added: “Malaga CF is obliged to take this step for the good of the entity and hopes that Malaguista season ticket holders and fans understand and support this new effort, the sole objective of which is to create an acceptable and competitive structure with which to return the lost excitement to Malaga CF.”

In February this year Qatari businessman Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani was removed as Malaga’s president for six months by a Spanish regional court because of a series of charges including the alleged misappropriation of funds.

Al Thani bought Malaga in 2010 and, after a number of high-profile signings, including Ruud van Nistelrooy and Santi Cazorla, the club qualified for the Champions League in 2012 under ex-manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini.

But, following financial troubles, Malaga were forced to sell many of their top players and they were relegated from Laliga in 2018.