By Chloé A. Añón Pasleau
April 15 – “It was always difficult to imagine that UEFA would allow a team that they have punished to reach the final,” said Málaga’s manager Manuel Pellegrini in his post-match press conference after Málaga´s controversial 3-2 Champions League quarter-final defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
With the news this weekend that the club has cleared its debts – debts that had left it on the wrong side of UEFA financial regulations – the feeling in Southern Spain was one of victimisation. It is perhaps easier to take out the little guy than the big one.
Although Málaga’s Chilean manager Pelligrini is usually discreet in his public statements for once he he held nothing back: “We played a great game but they did not want us to win.”
Pellegrini seemed to see a clear connection between Dortmund´s offside winning goal and the fact that UEFA have banned Málaga from European competitions next season due to their economic problems.
UEFA revealed the sanctions on December 21, one day after Málaga were drawn against 1987 and 2004 champions Porto in the Champions League last-16 knockout round.
The Andalusian club will be banned from the top European club competition for the next four years for failing to play player wages and tax bills on time. This means that the club would be excluded from the competition if they were to qualify in the 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 or the 2016/17 seasons. Moreover, the Qatari-owned Spanish club were also handed a €300,000 fine.
However, Málaga insist that their debts were very small – they had debt with four Spanish clubs and two non-European clubs. According to Málaga they are debts of less than €300,000.
Málaga had until March 31 to prove it had no overdue payments due to other clubs, its employees or the tax authorities. Their debt was said to be around the €15-18m mark, which included €9m in players’ salaries.
January 4, Málaga announced that they had come to an agreement with the Spanish Treasury and had made a net payment of €10 million. Málaga assured the Treasury that the rest of the debt will be paid within two months.
True to their word, yesterday Spanish newspaper Diario Sur published that Málaga FC was now up-to-date in all their payments with the Treasury.
It hasn’t been easy for Málaga to balance their books under the new UEFA regualtions. They have had to sell key players, like Santi Cazorla to English Premier League side Arsenal, and Rondón to Rubin Kazan for €3.5 million.
The club, like many others, will have to cut expenses further if it does not want to jeopardise entry into European competiton, as well as the additional income that European participation guarantees.
Apart from Málaga, seven other European clubs have also been punished by UEFA´s Club Financial Control Body. UEFA are very serious about implementing Financial Fair Play on all clubs, but the real test will be when, and if, a ‘big club’ finds themselves in Málaga’s situation.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734789259labto1734789259ofdlr1734789259owedi1734789259sni@u1734789259aelsa1734789259p.eol1734789259hc1734789259. Chloe Pasleau is a reporter for laliganews.com