Antoñín Cortés made his debut for Málaga's first team on 11-19-2019 at Carlos Belmonte against Albacete. He entered at 55 'for Juanpi Añor in a game won by the La Mancha 1-0. It was the seventh day of a very complicated League for the Blue and Whites, immersed in a monumental crisis that endangered their survival as a club due to the deficient and absurd management of its owner and president Abdullah Al Thani.
The then coach, Víctor Sánchez del Amo, had no choice but to line up footballers from the Tercera subsidiary, Atlético Malagueño because LaLiga limited the registration of chips to 17 for having the salary limit very exceeded. In record time, 150 days, he went from playing in the fourth category to signing for Granada, in the First Division.
And this transfer was the salvation for the Málagas recognized by its sports director Manolo Gaspar. “What LaLiga demanded has been covered. The sale of Antoñín has saved us from not having defaults and from having a treasury that will take us to the end and we will not have penalties, defaults or administrative decline “. Or this other one. “If it is not for the transfer of Antoñín, maybe we would not be here ”.
The transfer was closed a month after the winter market ended, but it was possible because Granada suffered a long-term injury leave from Neyder Lozano. That one and a half million euros gave life to Malaga who could more or less square his accounts in the short term. To sum up. Thanks to Antoñín, Málaga did not become another Reus. How could it be less the horrible president / tweeter, who was dismissed from his duties by court order, criticized this operation saying that he would have done better. A figure east to Thani …
Antoñín scored four very valuable goals such as the two goals that gave Málaga three points against Oviedo, the one from the victory against Ponferradina. Six gold points. He played eight games with Granada. After finishing the season the technicians considered the need for him to go on loan to a Segunda so that he could take minutes and draw. Málaga tried but couldn't make it viable. He went to Rayo Vallecano where he has already scored eight goals.
Speaking to El Desmarque Málaga, the player acknowledged that, indeed, there were possibilities to come to Málaga and recalls his time in the Blue and White first team. “It was a short time, but precious. Malaga is the club of my dreams, the one that gave me everything, the one that helped me become a footballer from the quarry. I cannot express how I feel when I return to play in Malaga. If there was an audience at La Rosaleda, half would have been mine, people from the family and friends ”. The forward praised Pellicer: “He doesn't cut himself at any time. He who works, plays ”.
His first goal with the strip was scored precisely against Malaga. A goal that did not celebrate. “I will never celebrate a goal against Malaga, the team of my life.” And final message. “Someday, surely, we will cross paths.” Antoñín Cortés, from Málaga's savior to ‘dear enemy’ next Sunday.