History of CD Málaga
Origins
The club can trace its history back to 1904 with the formation of Málaga Foot-Ball Club. It was nothing more than a society intended to promote football, a new sport in the city, carried from the United Kingdom. Its first rivals were small teams formed by crew of foreign ships arriving to local harbor. In 1907, further attempts of popularizing football were performed by Málaga FC.
1912 saw the arrival of a rival club FC Malagueño, and the establishment of a great rivalry with Málaga FC, which had merged with other minor clubs like Málaga Racing. In 1927, Málaga FC became Real Málaga FC after they were granted royal patronage by Alfonso XIII.
During the 1929-30 season both of Real Málaga FC and FC Malagueño clubs became founder members of the Tercera División. In late 1930, Real Málaga FC, were reformed as Málaga Sports Club.
Club merging in 1933
In 1933 Málaga SC and FC Malagueño merged to become Club Deportivo Malacitano, although it wasn't a real merging at all, but a naming change of FC Malagueño, which had a good economic wealth and also a better squad than Málaga SC. By this operation, CD Malacitano was able to heir the squad of FC Malagueño, having their contracts being cancelled in the other way.
In 1934 this new club made its debut in the Segunda División when the division was expanded from ten teams to twenty four. After various seasons in Segunda División, with the competition interrupted because of the Spanish Civil War, in 1941 the club changed their name to Club Deportivo Málaga, as new stadium, La Rosaleda, was also inaugurated.
First promotion to La Liga in 1949, first topflight years
In 1949, Málaga promoted for the first time to La Liga after several seasons in Segunda División and a couple in the third level.
With chairman Miguel Navarro Nogueroles and coach Luís Urquiri, the club managed to promote in the last play of the 1948-49 season, in second position after leader Real Sociedad, and thanks to positive goal difference with Granada CF. Notable striker Pedro Bazán, who had previously scored 9 goals in a sole match against Hércules CF, was the top goal scorer and also one of the most important players of the team.
In this first run in La Liga, Málaga stayed there two consecutive seasons, with notable former player Ricardo Zamora as coach of the team, and until the first relegation of the club at the end of 1950-51 season, lacking just one point to maintain status.
In the subsequent seasons, Málaga achieved two new promotions to La Liga in 1951-52 and 1953–54, being relegated after just one year in both. The 1952-53 season was notable because of a resounding 6-0 thrashing of Real Madrid at La Rosaleda, the major result up to date of Málaga against this club.
The golden years in the early 1970s
After several new fleeting first level promotions in the 1960s, which turned out in immediate relegations, Málaga promoted once again in 1969-70 under the command of chairman Antonio Rodríguez López and coach Jenő Kálmár, to start a five-year top flight stay.However, president in charge Antonio Rodríguez López was brutally murdered because of Mafia issues in the year 1971, and was replaced by Rafael Serrano Carvajal for the rest of that run.
With notable players like Miguel Ramos Vargas "Migueli", Sebastian Viberti, Juan Antonio Deusto and José Díaz Macías, the club achieved two seven league places in 1971-72 and 1973-74 (best results of the club up to date), a Ricardo Zamora Trophy in 1971-72 season performed by goalkeeper Deusto, and a 1972-1973 run of the club in the Spanish Cup, where they were dumped out in the semifinals by Athletic Bilbao. They also notably scored a victory on Camp Nou for the first time after winning to FC Barcelona at the end of the 1971-72 season. The club also established in 1973 an official anthem, Málaga La Bombonera, and from that moment the song is still the official anthem of the club.
After a polemic exit of Viberti of the club at the end of 1973-74 season, the so-called golden years ended with a new relegation to the second level in 1974-75.
Club replacement in 1992
Málaga had a reserve club, founded on May 25, 1948 when CD Málaga took over a junior club, CD Santo Tomás, with the purpose of establishing a reserve team. The club was renamed Club Atlético Malagueño, reviving the name of one of the two clubs that had merged to form CD Málaga in 1933.
During the 1959-60 season CA Malagueño and CD Málaga found themselves together in the third level. As a reserve team, the former should have been relegated. To avoid this, they separated from their parent club and registered as an independent club with the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
In 1992 when CD Málaga dissolved after financial difficulties, CA Malagueño continued playing. The 1992-93 season saw them playing in Tercera Division Group 9. After a successful campaign, the club was promoted to Segunda División B. However, the following season the club was relegated again and, facing financial difficulties, also seriously faced closure. On December 19, 1993, in a referendum, the club’s members voted in favour of changing names and, on June 29, 1994 CA Malagueño changed their name to Málaga Club de Fútbol S.A.D., becoming from then an official succession to what was previously called Club Deportivo Málaga.