Malaga C. F. (Club de futbol) stadium

Malaga C. F. (Club de futbol) stadium

In the north of Malaga is football stadium Estadio La Rosaleda which offers space for nearly 30.000 spectators. Since 1941, this stadium is the home to the local Malaga CF. The club was founded in  1904.

Before the construction of the stadium, the competitions were played near Baños del Carmen. During the World Cup of 1982 in Spain, the Estadio La Rosaleda was one of the football stadiums where competitions were played.

Achievements football club Malaga

Since the foundation of the club Malaga C. F. they played in the first division, second division and  the third division of Spain for four years. From 1999 Malaga C. F. played for 7 years in the 'first division’. During this period the club played European football for the first time. By winning the Intertoto Cup (the first international prize) Malaga CF was qualified for the UEFA Cup. Between 2006 and 2008 the club had to take a step back and came out in the 'second division’. After that Malaga has become a big club and plays against football clubs in the top division. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani of Qatar becomes in 2010 the owner of the club. Since his arrival, famous players, including the Dutch Ruud van Nistelrooy, played for Malaga C.F. ,in the 2011-2012 season, with a fourth place in the Spanish league, enforced participation in the Champions League. Though the good performance, the club does have during this last period to handle with a difficult financial situation.

 Museum and stadium tour

In the museum of Malaga CF is so much to see about the history of this club. It gives a good picture of how the club was created. There are photos and videos from competitions, where you can see (old) players and coaches of the football club. Although the trophy cabinet is not filled as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid,  but there are some impressive trophies. Especially ‘Trofeo Costa del Sol ' is very impressive. During the stadium tour you can visit areas where you normally are not allowed to enter. Such as the press room, the room where football stars and coaches tell their story about a played game to the press. You can feel a famous footballer for a moment and take a seat behind the desk with microphones. You see the dressing room of the players, where original shirts of famous players hang against the wall.  In the dugout you get an idea of ​​the view that coaches and reserve players have from the sidelines on the field. Although the club is not the biggest of Spain, it has a beautiful history. For football fans, it is worth to participate in this stadium tour.

From the historical center you can be reach the stadium in different ways 

• By foot

The stadium is half an hour walk from the center (about 2 miles).

• By bicycle

By bicycle is easy and fast (15 minutes). You can rent bikes near Plaza de la Marina

• By bus

At the busstation, you can take a number of buses:

- Bus 17 to La Palma (stop Avenida Dr. Maranon.)

- Bus 26 to Algeria de la Huerta (stop Rosario Pino)

- Bus 2 to Ciudad Jardin (stop Jorge Silvela)

There are buses leaving every 10 minutes and stop at a few minutes walk from the stadium.