Sport
José Alberto confirmed as Malaga's new head coach
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The 39-year-old arrives from Mirandés to replace Sergio Pellicer at the helm
José Alberto López has been officially announced as the Malaga's new head coach. The 39-year-old Asturian was seen arriving at La Rosaleda on Tuesday morning to iron out the final details ahead of his appointment which was confirmed later the same evening.
The young coach, who joins from Mirandés, has already started work planning for next season, having been taken on a tour of the stadium's facilities to familiarise himself with what will be his new home.
It is understood that José Alberto, alongside sporting director Manolo Gaspar, have already sat down to discuss the current playing squad and areas in which the side needs to be strengthened over the course of the summer.
The key will be to get the main components of the squad in place for the start of pre-season at the beginning of July, with the final pieces to be added before the start of the next campaign.
José Alberto as he arrived at La Rosaleda on Tuesday morning. / Salvador Salas
The location for the pre-season training camp also needs to be decided but finances are expected to play a major role.
A similar challenge
The challenge facing the new coach remains similar to that of the season that has just ended, though the club will have slightly more money available for recruitment, with sanctions on squad size to come to an end and an expected increase in capital.
Sergio Pellicer, who has left the club after 18 months, led the team to a respectable 12th-place finish. Next year, however, while avoiding relegation will be starting objective, the return of fans to stadiums will provide a major boost and the club will hope it signifies the start of a new era.
