Málaga CF Málaga CF is a club from Andalusia's picturesque Costa del Sol, tracing its roots back to 1904, when the city's first football club, Málaga FC, was established. After its direct successor, CD Málaga, collapsed in 1992, the club's reserve side, Club Atlético Malagueño – founded in 1948 – took up the mantle, officially adopting the name Málaga Club de Fútbol on 29 June 1994 and continuing the city's footballing tradition.
The most important chapter in the club's history came in the 2012-13 season, when a side managed by Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini made its debut in the Champions League and immediately produced a spectacular run. After topping a group that included AC Milan, Málaga eliminated Portuguese side FC Porto in the round of 16, losing the first leg 0-1 before overturning the deficit with a 2-0 win at home. In the quarter-finals, the Andalusian side held Borussia Dortmund to a goalless draw at home, only to lose the return leg in Dortmund 3-2, conceding the decisive goals in stoppage time – a match still regarded as one of the most dramatic in the history of European club football.
Sporting success, however, went hand in hand with serious financial troubles at a club that had been linked since 2010 to Qatari investor Abdullah Al Thani. Just months after its European adventure, UEFA barred the club from the following season's Europa League over unpaid debts, a stark contrast to its recent sporting triumph.
The team, nicknamed Los Boquerones (The Anchovies) after the local fishing tradition and a popular Andalusian dish, plays its home matches at La Rosaleda, a stadium that has stood as a symbol of the city since the days of the earlier CD Málaga.