From Jorge Andrade to Adrián López: illustrious people who tried out at Málaga

Adrián López is going to train with Málaga but without a record, as Málaga Hoy reported and we have been able to confirm. The Asturian striker, who played for the Blue and Whites in the 2009-09 season (he participated in 28 games and scored three goals) has not played for six months after ending his relationship with Osasuna where last season he accumulated 481 minutes in 17 games scoring one goal.

The 34-year-old striker is recovering from injury. Being an unemployed footballer, Malaga could sign him definitively despite the fact that the winter market ends this Monday 31 At 12 pm. The team has two free chips after the departure of Iván Calero and the arrival of Febas and Vadillo. As the market is, Adrián’s option to reinforce the forward is highly valued at the club. If it’s alright, I’ll sign.

This is not the first footballer to train with the team despite not having a record. There are precedents. It may even sound disrespectful that the term ‘on trial’ is used with players of a proven category and who, in the case of Adrián, have played for teams such as Deportivo, Atlético or Osasuna and have also been capped twice by Spain. What should be evaluated is your physical condition.

These are some of the footballers who, at some point, were on trial at La Rosaleda. It should be noted that there were other cases of players without a card such as the recent ones of José Rodríguez, Okazaki, Mula or Iván Rodríguez. But these were not tested. They were left without a file because at that time Malaga exceeded the salary limit and they could not be registered.

Cristian Aflenzar, an Austrian from Mérida

This was a midfielder from Austria that in 1993 he came to play for Mérida. One day in the 1997-98 season, with Málaga in Segunda B, he appeared at La Rosaleda. He looked like a ‘star signing’ and was in the stands waiting to go through a test that really hardly happened. Two kicks and live. He continued his career in Austrian middling teams.

Jorge Andrade, illustrious SuperDepor

A great Portuguese central defender who had great campaigns with Deportivo. After being transferred to Juventus he broke his patellar tendon. The same injury that had Ronaldo two years away from football. In the summer of 2009 he joined Málaga’s training sessions. The club even made a ten-day contract. Unfortunately it did not pass the test. He was too injured.

Al Mutawa international for Kuwait

This happened before the arrival of Sheikh Thani. One day a player named Al Mutawa showed up at training. He said he was the captain of the Kuwaiti national team with whom he had played 52 times and who had a great dream of playing for the Malaga team. The man had good manners but after a short time he was dismissed. Juan Ramón Muñiz, then a coach, was not very amused, let’s say…

Benachour, a bizarre test

Malaga had signed the Portuguese Edinho and at the airport he appeared accompanied by another player that no one knew how to identify. It turned out to be Salim Benachour, 42 times international with Tunisia with whom he was in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea. In the end they made a contract. In the first season he played 23 games and in the second Jesualdo Ferreira relegated him. He went to the Maritimo de Funchal.

Guillermo Ubierna and his ‘Operation Triumph’

One of the most peculiar cases in the history of football, maybe, worldwide. In the summer of 2009 a ‘Big Brother for goalkeepers’ was organized by ‘soloporteros.com’. It was called ‘In search of the goalkeeper of the future’. The winner would have a contract with the Málaga first team. Among the 4,000 candidates the winner was William Ubierna, a goalkeeper born in Alcobendas. Some training and little else,

Hachim Mastour, el becario de Al Thani

Abdullah Al Thani, in one of his absurd delusions of ‘recording sheikh’ imposed the signing of Hachim Mastour, a 17-year-old Italian-Moroccan youth. It was a case of a very well paid scholarship. Two-year contract and five million purchase option. The kid only practiced for five minutes in a game against Betis… and because Javi Gracia, then the coach, had no choice. The last thing we have heard from him is that he is in the Third of Italy with more pain than glory.

Aarón Ñíguez, pure bad luck

A very good player punished by injuries that prevented him from playing with Malaga. When his contract ended, he continued training in the hope of being able to find a place. It could not be. Now go to La Nucia.