Still no progress on the Malaga Academy after two years at a standstill

Two years after what was supposed to be a temporary stoppage to construction of the new Malaga Academy in Arraijanal, next to Plaza Mayor, the football training centre project remains completely abandoned.

According to SUR sources, there is no projected end date for the project despite expectation with the arrival of judicial administrator José María Muñoz that construction would resume imminently.

However, financial problems are still a major hurdle that needs to be overcome. The works were supposed to be funded by the club's Foundation using the 4.4 million euros it was set to receive from the sale of land at El Viso. However, with a significant amount of time now having passed, a large portion of this money is now required to pay off loans, leaving just three million for the completion of the Academy.

As a result, the club has been working hard to reduce the cost of what remains of the project, firstly by reexamining the plans to locate unnecessary expenditure and, secondly, by organising a private tender process to attract bids to complete works for a fraction of the price quoted by original constructors Bilba.

The completion of the Academy is much-needed for Malaga's youth teams who are currently playing at various locations around the city, using facilities loaned to them by other clubs. The issue became especially pressing after the club gave up its use of the athletics stadium - another cost-cutting exercise.