Walter Finch
SHEIKH Abdullah Al-Thani is not one to shy away from social media, but his stance on the ownership of Malaga CF has been consistent – it’s not for sale.
The former club president has previously rejected all offers and his latest response to PSG’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s interest was no different.
The Olive Press has previously written on Al-Thani’s disastrous ownership of the Costa del Sol club.
The Qatari’s stewardship has seen them slide from Champions League quarter-finals to La Liga’s Segunda Division in the space of ten years.
Despite this, in a forceful message on Twitter, Al-Thani compared the club to a member of his family – ‘a son or a daughter’ – and vowed to hold onto it for as long as possible.
However, the sheikh’s grip on the club may not be as strong as he thinks – two legal battles could threaten his ownership.
The first involves a longstanding claim from hotel group BlueBay, who allege that Al-Thani broke an agreement to give them 49% of his shares.
The Supreme Court is yet to make a ruling on whether Al-Thani must divide his shares with BlueBay.
The second legal issue is criminal proceedings, which have resulted in the club being in administration for the past three years.
The Al-Thani family face accusations of crimes such as money laundering and misappropriation of club funds.
Until these legal matters are resolved, the future of Malaga CF remains uncertain.
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