Life in Malaga: Going to see Malaga FC
February 10th, 2011
For many people moving abroad, there are many pastimes they leave behind at home. One thing that a lot of people miss is following their local football team, but for those who have decided to live in Malaga, there is the chance to be one of the many foreign fans of Malaga FC.
Here’s one sports fan’s story of how he kept his footballing passion alive on the south coast of Spain.
“When I was growing up, clubs like Celtic, Juventus, Manchester United, Ajax and Real Madrid had a certain magic about them. These were the legendary names of European football, to which we could of course add many more, like Barcelona, Inter, Arsenal, Anderlecht, Benfica, etc.
Similarly, the big leagues had a certain allure, featuring dreamy headliners like Fiorentina-AC Milan, Bayern-Borussia Dortmund, the Old Firm or Real-Barça. Such fixtures have, in fact, produced a dedicated form of tourism, a sort of fan exchange whereby real enthusiasts go on pilgrimages to the great football temples of the world.
While I was never quite so dedicated or fanatical, I would always try to catch a game or at least a glimpse of the local stadium when travelling to some major football city. Since I moved to Spain in 1997 I have therefore been to Barcelona, Real and Valencia, as well as admired the stadiums of Real Sociedad, Real Valladolid, Atletico Madrid, Xerez, FC Sevilla, Real Betis, Cadiz, Murcia and Almeria from afar. I even made a half-hour detour to the one-horse town of Almendraleja once, just to see the stadium of Extremadura, then in La Liga.
While those of us in Southern Spain may not be living in the hotbeds of Spanish football, places like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia or Bilbao, we are still lucky to be able to choose from quite a number of decent clubs. The likes of Xerez and Cadiz regularly play in the top-two divisions and have comfortable stadiums and a decent following, but right on our doorstep, so to speak, is Primera División club Malaga FC.
Okay, they may not be championship contenders, but that doesn’t stop people from going to watch the likes of Sunderland, Newcastle or West Ham (with all due respect), so being able to see La Liga teams at Malaga’s recently renovated Estadio La Rosaleda is something I regard as a bit of a privilege. The 30,000-cap stadium is neat and tidy, and usually there will be at least 20,000 fans to provide a typical Mediterranean football atmosphere.
While it’s perfectly feasible to go there under your own steam, I would recommend joining the Peña Internacional Malaguista, or foreign supporters club, which contributes a significant proportion of fans and organises coaches to the stadium on match days. Meet up for a drink at The Tavern Pub in Marbella’s Old Town, and then join the group on the bus. It means you don’t have to worry about getting there or parking, and can focus just on having a good time. It’s the next best thing to supporting your hometown club – and since Qatari Sheikh Abdullah Ben Nasser Al-Thani became chairman, Malaga FC could just be the next Chelsea.”
With special thanks to www.malagafootballenglish.com and courtesy of Michel Cruz of www.manifestodesign.com
