Malaga's decade-long decline: From Champions League 'injustice' to second-tier survival

To this day, what happened in Dortmund on April 9, 2013 remains a painful memory for manager Manuel Pellegrini.

His Malaga side were 2-1 up against Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund and heading into the Champions League semi-finals when Dortmund’s two goals in added time were allowed to stand by referee Craig Thomson.

It was the first time a team had scored twice in injury time since Manchester United against Bayern Munich the infamous 1999 final. United’s goals were devastating to the Germans but weren’t disputed; Dortmund’s winning goal was.

“A referee’s decision cost us a place in the Champions League semi-finals,” Pellegrini recalled. “If there had been VAR the goal would never have been allowed. It was clear. We would have stayed in the competition.”

That Malaga were even in the quarter-finals for the first time was a shock. They had finished fourth in La Liga the previous season, but financial problems meant players were let go.

“There were times at Malaga when the players were not paid for months and then we had to lose six important ones,” explained Pellegrini, “but we still had an unbelievable team spirit. Isco was just starting his career, we had Martin Demichelis, Willy Cabellero, Joaquin. Great group.”

Ruud van Nistelrooy, Salomon Rondon, Santi Cazorla, Enzo Maresca, Juanmi, and Nacho Monreal were among the 18 who left Malaga in 2012, bringing in €45 million. They had all arrived after the €36 million takeover by Qatar's Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani in November 2010.

Al Thani made huge promises to a club which had never won a trophy. Malaga started to rise as big names arrived, lifting a team that had avoided relegation in 2010 to finish 11th and then fourth – and qualify for the Champions League.

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