Koke, Puyol, Puskas, Eto’o… ten stars that could have been from Málaga

After the Atlético de Madrid-Real Sociedad match, Diego Pablo Simeone praised Koke, their captain, on the occasion of his 500th game with the red and white shirt. “When we arrived, Koke was about to go to Malaga, now it is very important and is a reference ”commented the Argentine coach who made his debut, precisely, at La Rosaleda on January 7, 2012.

In the thread of this story we are going to remember some great players who were about to come to Malaga but who, for some reasons or others, did not.

1-Ferenc Puskas. Known as ‘Cañoncito Pum’ for the power of his shot with his left leg. After scoring 156 league goals with Real Madrid, his twilight moment arrived at the age of 29. In 1967, on the verge of turning 40, Málaga made him an offer, as the well-remembered journalist Juan Cortes explained in Diario Sur.

2-Pedro Munitis. He was the star of Racing de Santander. In 2000, Joaquín Peiró, a Malaguista coach, asked Fernando Puche, president at the time, to be signed. Puche deposited 1,300 million pesetas (6.8 million euros) in the Professional League. The player did not want to go to Malaga. He signed for Real Madrid and was international.

3-Samuel Eto’o. On two occasions. The first in the 1999-2000 season also at the request of Peiró. But Carlos Rincón, who was then responsible for the signings both in Malaga and Mallorca, decided to take him to Mallorca. In return came Albert Luque. The second time it was due to the determination of Al Thani being already in Anzhi, then a multimillionaire Russian team where the Cameroonian earned more than Messi. 20 million euros, the highest paid in the world Unbearable even for a “millionaire” sheikh.

4-Carles Puyol. In the 1999-2000 season, Málaga reached an agreement with Barcelona for the loan of this player who came as a right-back. The Malaga team was focused on Biescas (Huesca) and the player had a room reserved. Serra Ferrer, who was a sports director, advised him to go to the Rosaleda because the coach, Van Gaal would not count on him Puyol did not want to go to Malaga, he preferred to stay at Barcelona B. He ended up playing 24 games with Barça and forged his legend of great player.

5-Gabi. In 2011-12 Málaga became interested in this footballer who was then playing for Zaragoza. The issue was advanced, but Al Thani did not want to pay three million euros for it because it did not seem “galactic” enough. He ended up being the captain of Atlético de Madrid. Inconceivable that he did not play with the National Team.

6-Isco. After his transfer to Real Madrid, Sheikh Al Thani wanted to remove the number '22' as a sign of homage to this player. Request not taken into account. “My son Isco” “Have you talked to your father?” He spent three years driving his managers to try to return. “Have you talked to your father?” As you will understand, it was an absolutely impossible operation.

7-Mista. In 2001-02 again Joaquín Peiró requested the signing of this player from Tenerife who was aiming for a star. Also that of the Argentine defender Lussenhof. Neither one nor the other. In those years Malaga was already starting to be a selling team because money was no longer left over.

8-Balotelli. One of the greatest nonsense (one of many) of the illustrious Abdullah Al Thani who, in the midst of the Malaga crisis, with the salary limit greatly lowered and only 17 professional chips, demanded from his managers the signing of this controversial Italian footballer. And it was more than once. As much as they made him see the harsh reality of the club, the sheikh did not want to understand it.

9-Olivier Giroud. Montpellier's top scorer who had won the French League in 2009. Antonio Fernández, then sports director, had his signing approved. But in the summer of 2012 the great crisis of Malaga broke out, which was rained by complaints from players and clubs for non-payments. Fernández was fired and Giroud did not come.

10-Alexis Sánchez. Chilean international who played for Udinese. There was no lunch or meeting where Abdullah Ghubn, then Al Thani's henchman. “Of course I like Malaga and of course I will listen to him. Hopefully ”he said in AS on October 8, 2010. Nothing.

Luis Fernandez. We cannot help but include in this chapter of ‘galacticos’ who could have been and were not the famous French coach from Tarifa. At the time when the Al Thani were dismissed from their duties by court order, Richard Shaheen, a picturesque CEO signed by Al Thani, was negotiating with Fernández to replace Sergio Pellicer because they found Nules' coach unglamorous. Fortunately, this move did not occur in view of the two miraculous saves obtained by Sergio Pellicer.