Qatari said to seek exit from La Liga’s Malaga

Posted by Qatar is BooMING on Aug 3, 2012 in Economy, Sports | 0 comments

The Qatari owners of Spanish La Liga football club Malaga are reportedly looking to offload their stake.

Sports dailies Marca, as and other media all said that owner Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nassar Al-Thani – a member of the Qatar royal family – wants to sell up after only two years and is in talks with several interested parties. Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini oversaw training on Thursday amid reports the La Liga club is unable to pay his or the players’ wages.

The Andalusian side’s preparations for the 2012-13 season, which begins in less than three weeks, were also disrupted by separate reports that said their Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla was poised to sign for English Premier League club Arsenal. “It’s impossible to ignore what’s going on,” defender Weligton told a post-training news conference.

Malaga's players celebrate after winning the Spanish league football match against Sporting Gijon on May 13 at Rosaleda stadium in Malaga. (Getty Images)

“It’s a difficult situation to deal with after everything that has happened, the big signings, the big player presentations,” said the Brazilian. “We were all expecting more signings, more surprises, believing that the team would continue to be in fashion. But now we don’t know why all this has come to an end.”

Al-Thani bought the Andalusian club for 36 million euros ($44.27m) in June 2010 and heavy investment in players helped them finish fourth last season and secure a place in the Champions League playoff round. However, financial problems at the club have cast doubt over his commitment and he and his representatives have been conspicuous by their silence in recent weeks.

The club published a brief statement on its website later on Thursday, saying it had “started a process of internal restructuring”. This would help adapt to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules, which are designed to prevent clubs spending more than they earn. The restructuring was aimed at “guaranteeing the self-sufficiency and sustainability” of Malaga, the statement said.

“This process, which does not mean some kind of investment by the current owners is rejected, will include some changes in the current organisation which will strengthen the club for the future,” it concluded.

source: Arabian Business