Sheikh has no intention of selling Malaga
Reuters - Wednesday 05 September 2012, 14:29
Malaga owner Sheikh Abdullah
Al-Thani has no intention of selling and will continue to
invest, his executive vice president said on Wednesday as he
announced a new leadership structure for the La Liga club.
Moayat Shatat said Malaga had appointed a new director
general and a new sporting director as they push ahead with an
"internal restructuring" that has seen the departure of some of
their best players.
"We have invested a lot in this project and we have no
intention of walking away," Shatat told a news conference
announcing the appointments.
"We love this club and both Sheikh Abdullah and [vice
president and CEO] Abdullah Ghubn support the project and are
excited. The club is not for sale."
Hefty investment by Al-Thani, a member of the Qatar royal
family, helped Malaga qualify for the Champions League for the
first time last season, but their preparations were disrupted by
cashflow problems and reports the Sheikh wanted to sell after
only two years.
After offloading Spain midfielder Cazorla to Arsenal and
Venezuela striker Salomon Rondon to Rubin Kazan, the club has
brought in players including United States defender Oguchi
Onyewu and Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz.
Shatat said they had promoted marketing expert Vicente
Casado to director general and appointed Argentina-born Mario
Armando Husillos, a former Malaga player, as the first team
sporting director.
"The important thing is that there is a balanced investment
to seek the best for the club," Shatat said.
"At no time have we said we are not going to continue
investing. We will do so but in the way best suited to the club.
We want to invest in the right places."
Malaga have made a solid start to the season on the pitch.
They came through their Champions League play-off at
Panathinaikos last week before being drawn in Group C of
Europe's elite club competition with AC Milan, Zenit St
Petersburg and Anderlecht.
They get their campaign underway on September 18 at home to
Russian side Zenit.