Eight years after their last relegation to La Liga, Malaga made their comeback to the elite this summer. A complicated return since after four days, the promoted, corrected on the pitch of Santiago Bernabeu during the 3e day (4-0), has still not tasted victory, having to settle for the rest of two draws at home, respectively against Deportivo La Coruna (1-1) and Levante (0-0).
The road to the summits is still long for the Andalusian promotion. At the start of the 2010s, Malaga was one of the big names in the Spanish championship. Consequence of its purchase by a wealthy Qatari sheikh. In 2012, the club would finish fourth in La Liga and the following season, Malaga would push to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, narrowly eliminated by Borussia Dortmund.
Manuel Pellegrini’s team looked great, notably with Ruud van Nistelrooy, Santiago Cazorla, Joaquin, Nacho Monreal and Jérémy Toulalan, who arrived in 2011 from Olympique Lyonnais. The former Nantais player left good memories with his former teammates, including Enzo Maresca, who played for two seasons in Malaga, between 2010 and 2012.
Jérély Toulalan, the most underestimated player
Recently asked by the Premier League to give the name of the most underrated player with whom he played during his long career, the response from the new Manchester City coach is not long in coming. “Jérémy Toulalan”he said with a smile.
And the former Italian midfielder, who also played for Juventus Turin, Sevilla FC and Sampdoria during his 18 years among professionals, put another French player in the spotlight. Because when he was asked who was the best player he played with, Enzo Maresca responded straight away. “Zinedine Zidane”he said.
