Reserve-team coach takes the reins at Malaga CF as club promote from within yet again

Malaga CF have named Juan Francisco Funes as their new head coach after deciding to promote internally once again following the sacking of Sergio Pellicer on Tuesday.

The 42-year-old steps up from Atletico Malagueño in a move that mirrors Pellicer’s own first appointment when he replaced Víctor Sánchez del Amo.

The club, led in this process by sporting director Loren Juarros, had been assessing several candidates on the market after Pellicer's dismissal. SUR can confirm the club considered options including Rubén Albés but they ultimately chose continuity by elevating Funes.

Funes had spent six seasons in charge of the reserve team and guided them to promotion to Segunda RFEF last season. That said, Malagueño have endured a difficult start to the current campaign in the fourth tier, where they sit bottom of Group 4 with a single win from 11 matches.

His assistant, former Malaga player Francis Bravo, will now take over the reserve side.

Funes acknowledged the scale of the task in a short club video, saying he was "really excited" about the opportunity.

His credentials fit the club’s preferred profile because he is seen as a long-standing club figure and already knows much of the first team well, having overseen many of their developments through the youth ranks.

In fact, almost forty academy players who worked under him have since reached senior level.

Funes now inherits an injury-hit squad that has collected only eight points from their last 33 and sit just outside the relegation places in Segunda División.