Season 2023 - 2024
The 2023/24 season of Málaga Club de Fútbol culminated in the long-awaited return to the Spanish Second Division. After suffering relegation the previous campaign, the blanquiazul team faced the challenge of the Primera Federación with effort, determination, and resilience, achieving their goal in a campaign full of memorable moments, with the fans as the Club’s greatest asset.
Málaga CF began the season with a defeat in Castalia, but the team quickly bounced back by winning five consecutive matches and consistently remaining among the leaders of the table until the end of the regular season in May, when they sealed a victory in Madrid against RM Castilla to finish third—earning them a place in the promotion playoffs.
Throughout the season, several players became fundamental pillars of the team, with special mention for both penalty areas. In their own box, goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero stood out, playing every single minute of the league competition, producing brilliant performances, and even scoring an incredible headed goal in the final stretch of the season. Up front, Roberto Fernández was the team’s top scorer, reaching the twenty-goal mark (15 in the league and 5 in the playoffs). A sensational figure for the youth product born in Puente Genil.
The role of the supporters was decisive from start to finish with their energy, chants, and relentless encouragement. At La Rosaleda, with average attendances around 25,000 spectators, and on away trips—most of them massive due to the geographical proximity of rivals—the so-called “12th player” truly lived up to its name, showing that malaguismo was more alive than ever.
The peak of the 23/24 campaign came in the promotion playoffs to LALIGA HYPERMOTION. In the semifinals, a tight win over RC Celta de Vigo’s reserve team, Celta Fortuna, by an aggregate score of 4-3. And then came the grand final.
The season’s culmination arrived in the promotion playoff final against Nàstic de Tarragona. After winning 2-1 at La Rosaleda in the first leg, with two goals from Roberto, Málaga CF traveled to the second leg with only a slim advantage. Despite being reduced to ten men after Nacho’s red card, Nàstic managed to go 2-0 up early in extra time. The outlook was bleak.
But Pellicer’s team refused to give up, rebelling against defeat. They never stopped believing, turning the impossible into one of the greatest feats in the Club’s history. In many ways, it evoked the miraculous 1997/98 promotion to the Second Division, with the unforgettable 4-1 victory over Terrassa at La Rosaleda and Pablo Guede as the unquestionable hero.
Dioni scored the 2-1 lifeline in the second half of extra time, rekindling the hopes of a fanbase on the verge of a heart attack. After several interruptions caused by home supporters (throwing balls onto the pitch), the miracle came at the very last breath. In the iconic 122nd minute, Antoñito Cordero, a 17-year-old youth player, struck the decisive 2-2 goal—securing Málaga CF’s second historic promotion to the Second Division under its current name.
The 23/24 season was a journey full of challenges and emotions, a rollercoaster of extreme feelings that only football can provide. Epicness defined a promotion that Málaga celebrated like never before, overcoming adversity and writing a new heroic chapter in the history of Málaga Club de Fútbol.
“We’re going to do it,” was one of the rallying cries uniting Club, Team, and Fans. And they did it. We did it. All together. It was unexplainable, yet it explained everything.