Former Champions League club to be kicked out of World Cup 2030 venue and forced into athletics stadium with one stand
The Spanish outfit will have to leave their home of 84 years at Rosaleda in 2026 to spend at least the next two seasons at Estadio Ciudad de Malaga.
Advertisement
4
Malaga have been forced to move to an athletics stadium
4
Malaga will have to spend at least the next two seasons away from Rosaleda
4
The Rosaleda will undergo a redevelopment project ahead of the 2030 World Cup
That is because the team's stadium will undergo a redevelopment project worth £222million ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by
The Rosaleda can hold up to 30,000 fans but Malaga's new temporary accommodation can only host a maximum of 12,500.
In fact, the venue currently has a seating capacity of 7,500 but reports suggest another 5,000 seats will be added.
The club were initially hoping for an expansion that would have allowed 27,000 seats.
Advertisement
Read More on Football
However, the city didn't approve that redevelopment as there is a busy road leading to the port that runs just next to the stadium.
That led to a furious reaction from Malaga fans with associations issuing a joint statement against the decision.
The supporters accused the city as well as the Andalusian and Spanish government of
"empty promises, projects without a timetable and propaganda slogans"
The fans were mainly up in arms regarding the
lack of progress in
the project to redevelop Rosaleda as there is no set timetable regarding the works' completion.
Advertisement
Most read in Football
Exclusive
Exclusive
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
A statement read: "
Behind this paralysis there seem to be political and economic interests that, instead of protecting the club's heritage and future, seek to make it cease to exist
.
"
We demand that you GUARANTEE us a minimum of 23,000 seats at any time of redevelopment
."
Inside Aston Villa's £100MILLION new stadium plans including Premier League's BIGGEST beer hall
Malaga are one of Spain's most esteemed clubs where a number of notable players have competed in the past, such as Isco, Santi Cazorla and
Advertisement
The club has also left its mark in Europe having made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League back in 2013, that was 10 years after making it this far in the Europa League.
4
Malaga are furious with the ongoing situation
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Katie Taylor defeats Amanda Serrano for third time and ends their rivalry in New York
The 42 Reports from Madison Square Garden THE RIVALRY HAS been put to bed. 3-0. That's all she wrote. Katie Taylor rubber-stamped her superiority over career nemesis Amanda Serrano with a tense but deserved split-decision victory at Madison Square Garden, defending her undisputed light-welterweight title in the process. For the first time in their storied rivalry, Serrano accepted her defeat graciously for there was simply nothing left to complain about. Two judges' scored the bout 97-93 — or seven rounds to three — in the Irishwoman's favour, with a third seeing it even at five rounds apiece. But her and Serrano's most tactical battle was won cleanly by Taylor, sending the Irish contingent at MSG ballistic in scenes reminiscent of the night that began one of boxing's great modern sagas at the same venue three years ago. Asked in the ring afterwards if she intended to box again in future, the jubilant Taylor was for the very first time non-committal. This one might just do it. The final itch scratched. With her most worthy rival banished, it'll be difficult to recreate another night like Friday in New York, and it'll be difficult to get out of bed for any less. It could be days before Taylor's supporters see their own beds. The tricoloured celebrations will spread from Pennsylvania Plaza through wider Manhattan in the coming hours. Serrano's star has risen enough since 2022 that her supporters outnumbered the Irish in a subversion of the original classic. It will feel like a cruel twist of fate that her contribution to a great modern-day boxing saga has yielded only three defeats, but her eight-year entanglement with Taylor has changed her life and enhanced her reputation as an iconic fighter in her own right. Despite suggestions to the contrary all week, challenger Serrano walked first to the ring as is convention, one of her routine Spanish-language bangers immediately drowned out by her 12-or-13,000 supporters in attendance. Champion Taylor then emerged from the tunnel to Junkie XL's remix of Elvis Presley's 'A Little Less Conversation', an obvious allusion to Serrano's 'whingeing' following her narrow defeats in their previous two fights. From the ring, though, Taylor's name was called first, with Serrano receiving the last ear-splitting roar on the precipice of the first bell. MSG was as loud a Serrano house as it had been a Taylor house in 2022, but the Irish were still absolutely tearing into 'Olé Olé', adding to the cacophony which became feverish after the respective national anthems. The first round, however, was equally a first for Taylor and Serrano's trilogy: it passed almost entirely without incident. With 11 seconds remaining, Taylor tapped Serrano's chin with a speculative right-hand counter over the top, but neither boxer deserved to bank an opener in which they barely threw a punch, instead seeking to establish range and feel each other out. Serrano pulled out a tidy straight left early in the second, to which Taylor soon afterwards responded with a similar counter. The Irishwoman, who had been deducted a point by the referee and accused by Team Serrano of using her head intentionally during the second bout last November, had clearly decided to approach Friday's affair with a greater degree of caution, utilising her superior footwork to box from a safer distance. That said, the fight might as well have been 0-0 through the first two tentative rounds. Advertisement The bout then exploded to life halfway through round three, showing a hint of the magic from Taylor-Serrano 1 and 2. The Bray woman timed a picturesque three-punch counter and Serrano replied with something similar. The pair traded spiteful left hooks to punctuate a more engaging round, which was again difficult to score. As the Fields of Athenry reverberated around the arena in the fourth, Taylor began to enjoy her most effective round to that point. The champion boxed more off the front foot, launching a couple of two-punch raids and clipping Serrano with a neat right around the guard. Serrano landed little in return, and the Irish alone continued to make the noise into the next minute's break. Taylor again appeared to take the fifth, landing the cleaner work throughout and swallowing only a singular Serrano left hand for her troubles. The Puerto Rican was throwing more punches but missing routinely, with Taylor's defensive instincts nullifying the jab from which Serrano sets up so many of her meaningful attacks. Taylor caught the challenger with a rare, vicious flurry from a neutral corner early in the sixth entry, broadly controlling the round. At the bell, however, Serrano sparked life back into the Puerto Ricans with a clawing left hand that, combined with an entanglement of their legs, knocked Taylor fractionally off balance in the direction of her corner. Round 7, though, reverted to a non-event akin to the first three. The obvious danger in such quiet rounds is that they were conceivably keeping Serrano in the fight: the coin-flips would surely go the way of the promotional A-side who so many believe was unlucky not to win at least one of her first two bouts with Taylor. She and Taylor traded slick, single punches again after 35 seconds of the eighth, Serrano finding a home for her left before the champion almost instantaneously returned serve with a right. The Puerto Rican continued to push the action for the rest of the round, though, and almost certainly pocketed the 10-9. This was getting close. Taylor's trainer, Ross Enamait, tried to light a rocket under her ahead of the penultimate ninth, warning her to box more off the front foot and trust her hand speed against the more plodding Puerto Rican. It was an inspired shout: Taylor upped the ante and kicked for home, winning the last two rounds comprehensively. She outclassed Serrano down the stretch, just as she had three years prior. With the Puerto Ricans all but reserved to Serrano's fate, the Irish grew louder. Taylor, imbued by the sound of her name echoing around the arena, converted that confidence into a dominant final round — her finest of the bout. There were fewer Irish nerves this time as the judges handed in their tallies. Taylor had done a job on her. Game over, ball bursht. Taylor was elated as her hand was raised, while Serrano was again tearful in defeat — but they were more so tears of appreciation, though, for her involvement in three fights with a fistic soulmate that materially changed the face of her sport. The late, great Jerry Eisenberg, who was friends with both men, once said that Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought each other not to win the World heavyweight title but to win the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier title. This equivalent is true of Taylor and Serrano, who on Friday night emulated The Greatest and Smokin' Joe by having contested two thirds of their legendary trilogy on the same sacred soil. Taylor's light-welterweight belts were merely weights at the end of the fishing line. The trilogy's titular characters were the hook. Transatlantic trailblazers who elevated their craft and each other, their names will mean something for as long as boxing exists. One will rarely be invoked without mentioning the other. They have become rich beyond their wildest dreams growing up in Bray and Brooklyn and their sport still owes them a more profound debt than the millions they each pocketed across three memorable contests. But the debate is over. And so too, perhaps, is Taylor's story in the ring. Written by Gavan Casey and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Chelsea v PSG: This goes beyond money – this is a chance for Chelsea to score a priceless win
Chelsea have already made more than £80 million (€92.4 million) from their Club World Cup adventure but they can achieve something priceless against Paris Saint-Germain. This goes beyond gaudy gold badges and money in the bank. The season with no end is almost over, the final of the tournament that nobody asked for is here and, while Chelsea have no intention of getting carried away if they triumph in New Jersey on Sunday, it is also the case that there would be no better way to demonstrate that they are on to something with their youth-driven project than by beating Luis Enrique's awesome PSG. Easier said than done, of course. One school of thought is that Chelsea will have done well if they leave the MetLife Stadium with their dignity intact. Premier League opponents hold no fears for PSG, whose path to Champions League glory was paved by wins over Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Manchester City, while they were in terrifying form against Real Madrid on Wednesday. It finished 4-0, but it could have been 10; PSG really were that good and the reality is there will only be one outcome if they hit those heights again. A free hit for Chelsea, then? They have made plenty of cash from the tournament, boosting their profitability and sustainability position. They have answered questions about their mentality by coming through a series of challenges during the tournament. Clear evidence of progress means Chelsea face the European champions able to resist the temptation to judge themselves on one big game. READ MORE Chelsea aim to be sustainable. That means maintaining a steady temperament no matter what happens against PSG. It is worth going back to the club finishing 12th in their first season under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. The criticism was fierce and sustained. The perception was of a chaotic institution. Yet Chelsea stuck with the strategy implemented in January 2023 and continued to buy more young players. They know that they have made mistakes along the way – there is no appetite for any more midseason managerial changes – but there is satisfaction with how they have not deviated from their chosen path. Replacing Mauricio Pochettino, whose approach did not suit the squad, with the more technical but more inexperienced Enzo Maresca last summer? 'It's much more about tactics,' Malo Gusto, the Chelsea right-back, says of the change from Pochettino to Maresca. 'That's why we are in the final – it's because of him.' Chelsea laugh at the narrative about needing older players. They won the Conference League last season and are back in the Champions League. They appear to have bought well this summer and are pleased with the recruitment team of Paul Winstanley, Laurence Stewart, Sam Jewell and Joe Shields. It was noted before the tournament that results will follow if you put the right strategies in place and build patiently. [ Joao Pedro double fires Chelsea into Club World Cup final Opens in new window ] Chelsea have invested in data and scouting. It cannot be a coincidence that they are the second-youngest team at the Club World Cup. The youngest? PSG. A source suggests that PSG and Chelsea have given other clubs a model to follow. 'Aggressive, fresh teams,' is the observation. Another is that Chelsea were signing young players long before PSG adopted the model. PSG are further along in their development, though. Having a dash of experience in key areas surely helps, while they also have the more established coach. Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique conducts a training session in Piscataway, New Jersey, on Friday. Photograph: Juan Mabromata/AFP via Getty Images Chelsea met Luis Enrique after sacking Graham Potter in April 2023, only to go with Pochettino. Hindsight is a funny thing. It is not easy to know how a foreign coach will adapt to the Premier League. Enrique had just come off a disappointing World Cup with Spain. It is not rewriting history to say his stock was not as high as it is now; that he had dipped since winning the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015. In any case Chelsea are happy with Maresca's first year in charge. They are adapting to his positional-based style and play with a clear idea. 'Most people expect PSG to win but we don't think that,' Levi Colwill said on Friday. 'When you play for Chelsea you're not scared to play against anyone. I think they'll be looking at our forwards and know it's not going to be easy.' The centre-back acknowledged that dealing with the ferocity and immediacy of PSG's press will not be easy. Do Chelsea play out of the back regardless? 'You have to respect how they press but we're not going to change our whole way to play them,' Colwill said. 'We've got this far playing our football so why are we going to change that now?' Everyone has a plan until Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia run at them, though. The feeling is that Maresca has no intention of parking the bus; that betraying his identity for one game would be folly. Still, though, Chelsea have to box clever. Do Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo need an extra body in midfield to deal with João Neves, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz? Can Chelsea beat the press if Roméo Lavia is out? How to contain Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes's surges from full-back? Colwill noted the heat in New Jersey, saying it cannot become a basketball game. [ Doue dazzles as PSG humble Inter 5-0 to claim first Champions League title Opens in new window ] But Chelsea have their weapons. They have Cole Palmer and the counter-attacking threat of Pedro Neto and Liam Delap. João Pedro scored two stunners against Fluminense; Fernández and Caicedo are in sparkling form. Noni Madueke has left the camp to complete a £52 million move to Arsenal but others have contributed from the bench. Speaking at a Fifa technical briefing on Thursday, Roberto Martínez noted that the best way to play PSG is to go man-to-man, to hit the triggers required to exploit the high line. Bayern Munich caused them problems in the quarter-final. They still lost, though. The issue is that the press has to be perfect. PSG can rip through at will. Chelsea know they are facing the best team in the world. PSG were supreme against Internazionale in the Champions League final. Logic suggests this one should only go one way. Chelsea have other ideas. Imagine how they would feel going into next season as world champions. Chelsea have no plans to change course but beating PSG would give the project immense validation. – Guardian
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Liverpool players set to honour Diogo Jota and André Silva in the best way they know how
Outside Anfield the red sea of tributes to Diogo Jota and André Silva has continued to grow this week along with questions over whether Liverpool could play at Preston on Sunday, their first game since the brothers' tragic loss. Inside Anfield, and specifically a grieving Liverpool dressing room, there was no major debate over the pre-season friendly. The Premier League champions intend to honour their team-mate in the best way they know how. It will be only 10 days since the deaths of Jota and Silva when Liverpool appear at Deepdale for what is certain to be an emotional occasion. There was no pressure on Liverpool to honour a friendly that could have been cancelled easily – unlike their commitment to a tour of Hong Kong and Japan at the end of the month – but at no point was that option relayed to Preston. Delaying a first appearance until they play Milan in Hong Kong on July 26th or Yokohama F Marinos at the Nissan Stadium four days later was not considered a suitable alternative by Liverpool's players. The consensus was to get out and play, albeit while being aware of how difficult the first steps will be. Their reactions to hearing You'll Never Walk Alone before kick-off on Sunday and seeing tributes to Jota and Silva at Deepdale will be broadcast live. ITV agreed a deal in principle to televise the game last month and finalised the decision days before the brothers were killed in northwestern Spain. READ MORE Those at Deepdale and watching on television will be witnessing a club in mourning, to use the words of Liverpool's chief executive, Billy Hogan. The past week, said Hogan, 'has been just absolutely devastating'. The club are also having to balance the professional obligations of preparing for a new season with the personal tragedy that has enveloped players, coaches and staff. They have lost a much-loved friend at the age of 28 and someone who was a positive, vocal presence in the dressing room. Jota was a player who managed to enforce standards at Liverpool while lifting the atmosphere. Liverpool player Mohamed Salah and team mates view tributes to late Portuguese soccer player Diogo Jota at Anfield. Photograph: EPA The new signings Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giorgi Mamardashvili were due to report for the usual pre-season tests last Friday, with their teammates starting back from Tuesday onwards, but all football-related activity was placed on hold once the deaths of Jota and Silva were confirmed. Some did report on Tuesday but the full squad were not reunited at the training ground until the end of this week, having been given time to process an unimaginable loss. It is one that some may never process. Sombre training sessions have been followed by visits to the mass of bouquets and scarves left in tribute to Jota and Silva behind the main stand at Anfield. The whole first team attended the scene on Friday in the company of Jota's wife, Rute Cardoso, and parents, Isabel and Joaquim. Andy Robertson, one of Jota's closest friends at the club, had led the way earlier in the week with his tribute to 'MacJota', so called by the Scotland captain given the striker's love of darts, horse racing and British life. The former players Steven Gerrard and Adam Lallana were also among the thousands who have paid their respects at Anfield. [ Diogo Jota's footballing talent, heart and will should be cherished after senseless death Opens in new window ] Arne Slot and his wife, Mirjam, also left an emotional tribute and took time to read many of the messages on 97 Avenue. 'Diogo, we had the same dream and we fulfilled it together. André and yourself will forever be in our hearts,' read the tribute from the Slot family. Jota's character, along with his ability as a footballer, were eloquently captured in a message from Michael Edwards, the chief executive of football at Liverpool's owner, Fenway Sports Group, who oversaw Jota's £41 million move from Wolves in 2020. 'Down to earth, determined, a great finisher and, above all, loved and respected by all who knew him,' Edwards wrote. 'He gave everything to the team, with quiet strength and unwavering humility. His impact reached far beyond the pitch.' Tributes to soccer player Diogo Jota at Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC. Photograph: EPA Luis Díaz and Alisson returned to pre-season training on Merseyside via Jota's home city of Gondomar, near Porto. The Liverpool forward and goalkeeper were unable to attend the brothers' funeral on Saturday because they were in Colombia and Brazil respectively. However, along with some of Jota's Portugal teammates including Rúben Neves, José Sá and Diogo Costa, and the Penafiel team that Silva played for, they attended a seventh-day mass in memory of the siblings at the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar on Wednesday. Players who had extended international commitments this summer are unlikely to be considered for Sunday's game. Liverpool and Preston will pay several tributes to Jota and Silva at Deepdale. The home team will lay a wreath close to the Liverpool fans, there will be a rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone and a minute's silence before kick-off, and both sets of players will wear black armbands. As for a lasting tribute to Jota and his brother, with fans calling for Liverpool to retire the forward's number 20, the club will be guided by the family in time. [ How Liverpool squad and football world bid farewell to team-mate Diogo Jota ] Hogan said after paying his respects outside Anfield on Wednesday: 'I think the most important thing in this process is that we want to make sure we are respecting the family. As a club, there's been lots of ideas and certainly within the supporter base lots of ideas. That's something we'll take forward with the family and we want to have those conversations at the appropriate time. 'Obviously they have gone through an unimaginable situation over the course of the last several days. We certainly will, obviously, remember both André and Diogo and at the appropriate time we'll make those plans clear.' — Guardian
