Malaga's fortunes remain a mystery

It was not supposed to be like this for Malaga CF. Last season in the Primera Liga , the Boquerones (named after a locally caught fish) enjoyed their highest-ever finish at fourth behind Real Madrid , Barcelona and Valencia , which was enough for them to enter the qualifying stage of the 2012/13 Champions League. The first leg will take place next week against the Greek giants Panathinaikos, but the optimistic mood surrounding the celebrations at Malaga in May has been replaced by fear and uncertainty. Fans who rejoiced when Sheikh Abdullah bin Nassar bought the club in a €36 million (Dh162m) takeover in 2010 have now seen the member of the Qatari royal family's grand plans to turn Malaga into a football powerhouse run out of steam in the close season. Sheikh Abdullah spent €150m on top-class players such as Julio Baptista, Santi Cazorla, Martin Demichelis, Jeremy Toulalan, Jose Rondon and Isco. A five-year plan to reach the Champions League was achieved three years early. It was a huge achievement for a club whose previous highest-ever finish was seventh and who sit 19th in the all-time Spanish league table. But two of those stars have already left and Malaga fans fear for the rest, although they do not know for certain because there has been no communication from the owner or his spokesman. The fans had welcomed Sheikh Abdullah in 2010 and responded by filling the 28,000 capacity Rosaleda every week last season. Season tickets have already sold out for this season. The achievements of the football team lifted a city bearing the brunt of Spain's recession, but there were continued, nagging doubts. Players complained that they had not been paid in full or on time, while rival clubs like Osasuna and Villarreal, who had sold players to Malaga, claimed the same. Osasuna protested that the fee for the full-back Nacho Monreal was not paid in full, Boca Juniors said the same about a the deal for Diego Buonanotte, and Villarreal over the Cazorla deal. It culminated in Malaga being banned from signing new players while the departure of key personnel behind the scenes further indicated that all was not well. Fernando Sanz, the former owner, claims he is still waiting for over €3m and the Spanish public purse were owed VAT on the Cazorla and Monreal transfers. Jose Carlos Perez, a long-time director who was perceived to be running the show behind the scenes died in February, and in May the director of football and the Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro resigned from the post. Few reasons were given apart from an oblique statement that he was feeling "uncomfortable". It was clear that something was amiss. Baffling too. These things are not supposed to happen if your owners are so wealthy and talking of grand plans for a new 65,000 capacity stadium. It sounded fanciful for a club who have spent more time out of the top division than in it, and the plans were widely derided in Spain. But the country's fifth biggest city could support a major football club and its location on the Costa del Sol makes it attractive to any footballer. Ruud van Nistelrooy, the Dutch forward, said it was an important reason for him not retiring, joining Malaga for a life in the sun. Sheikh Abdullah's plans were thorough, too, and included a new training academy near Malaga airport. Those plans were recently approved by local government, although it is doubtful whether they will ever become a reality. Sheikh Abdullah had previously communicated with fans via Twitter. He made frequently outspoken comments concerning corruption in Spanish football, racism in the Spanish media and complaining (with justifiable reason) about the unfairness of the financial disparity in television contracts in Spain. Sheikh Abdullah's previously busy Twitter account has been dormant since July 12 when a message of "Good night" was posted to his 900,000 followers. Nobody knows why he has stopped tweeting. The players are uncertain about their future and Manuel Pellegrini, the coach, conceded that the situation is far from ideal. Some players have instructed their agents to find them a new club, but the £16.5 million (Dh94.9m) fee Arsenal paid for Cazorla - rated the best player in Spain outside of Real Madrid and Barcelona - and the €12m from the sale of the Venezuelan striker Rondon to Rubin Kazan last week has helped the situation slightly. The Cazorla money was confiscated by Spain's tax authorities as soon as it arrived, but €7.5m was then released to the club so that the outstanding debts can be paid and the transfer ban lifted. Nobody knows what will happen next at Malaga. Local media have reported that the club has been put up for sale but no buyers have come forward and all fans and the press can do is speculate. The Panathinaikos ties are crucial because victory will mean a cash windfall from the Champions League group stage. Playing on such a stage may also encourage players like Toulalan, Monreal and Isco to stay around - although only if they are getting paid. It is not just about the owner. At last week's friendly game against Everton, fans held a banner up accusing Spain's tax authorities of being corrupt. It was quickly removed, but supporters feel that their club is being singled out, especially as many Spanish clubs owe the public purse. The future looks bleak for Malaga if they do not find a buyer or a wealthy benefactor. Malaga receive just €14m in television money per season and have little commercial income. Even the Unesco shirt sponsorship deal cost the club €1.5m per season. Player and staff wages outweigh income massively, and while there are no clear numbers publicly available the club is living beyond its mean. But the situation is still baffling, as Sheikh Abdullah has pumped €150m into a project that could be worth next to nothing if the club goes into administration. Follow us

Malaga's fortunes remain a mystery

Malaga had big dreams last season after finishing high enough to qualify for the Champions League. Now come stories of missed payments to players and slow transfer fee payments, and Andy Mitten writes that fans are nervous for tomorrow.