Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net

Former Liverpool starlet Dani Pacheco during his time with Malaga, John W.

Manuel Pellegrini’s squad had been bolstered by the arrival of a number of big-name signings, including Ruud van Nistelrooy, Joaquin, Santi Cazorla, Isco, Jeremey Toulalan, Martin Demichelis, Nacho Monreal and Joris Mathijsen.

But that was as good as it got under Al Thani’s ownership for Malaga, who memorably reached the Champions League quarter-finals only to be knocked out by Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund after the Bundesliga side scored twice in stoppage-time to clinch a 3-2 comeback win.

In 2017/18, they finished bottom of La Liga to suffer relegation and haven’t been back to the Spanish top-flight since.

And while they initially pushed for immediate promotion, losing in the promotion play-offs in the 2018/19 semi-finals, it has since gone from bad to worse for the strugglers, even suffering relegation to the Spanish third tier in 2022/23.

They are at least now back in the Segunda division, having triumphed in the promotion play-offs last season.

But currently 15th in the 22-team table, don’t expect them back in the top-flight anytime soon - at least not without fresh investment.

Former Liverpool starlet Dani Pacheco was a member of the Malaga side the last time they challenged for promotion to La Liga.

Dani Pacheco of Liverpool poses for photographs after a training session at Melwood on October 11, 2012 (Image: Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Making 17 appearances during his time with the Reds, he left the club permanently in 2013 and within two years was a Segunda champion with Real Betis in 2015.

He won the division again when sent on loan at Alaves in 2016, before joining Getafe permanently and winning promotion via the play-offs in 2017.

But after a shoulder injury derailed his chance in La Liga with the latter, he signed for Malaga in August 2018.

Missing out on promotion in his first season after losing in the play-offs, Pacheco was one of eight players laid off in October 2020 in response to the club’s ever-growing financial plight.

“At the end of this season, I had another year contracted with Getafe but Malaga came after me and had a big plan to go up,” Pacheco recalled in an exclusive interview with the ECHO in 2021, offering a glimpse at the Spanish outfit’s struggles at the time.

We played the promotion play-offs to go up but we couldn’t go up.

“The second season in the second division was a difficult one and we had delay on our payments.

Article continues below

“They then sent eight players with high salaries out and I was one of them.